Join the
Sixties generation
DVD
Blu-ray Releases
OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
May 1:
ACORN and the Firestorm: A hidden-camera video involving a fake prostitute threatens to destroy ACORN, America's largest grassroots anti-poverty organization. (DVD release: May 15)
Capitalism: An ambitious and accessible documentary series that looks at the history of the ideas and social forces that have shaped our capitalist world. (DVD release: Day & date)
The 15:17 to Paris: In the early evening of August 21, 2015, the world watched in stunned silence as the media reported a thwarted terrorist attack on Thalys train #9364 bound for Paris -- an attempt prevented by three courageous young Americans traveling through Europe. (DVD, Blu-ray release: May 22)
The Fortress: Set in 1636, when the Chinese Qing Dynasty invades Korea with 150,000 troops, and the Korean court flees the capital to take shelter in the Namhan Fortress, located in treacherous mountains outside the city.
The LEGO DC Super Hero Girls Battle Super-Villain High: The female Super Heroes are left to deal with a new rival when a mysterious high school pops up in this all-new animated film. (DVD release: May 15)
Mosaic: Six-part whodunit series based on the murder of popular children's book author and illustrator Olivia Lake. (DVD, Blu-ray release: July 10)
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell: The next chapter of the beloved Tremors franchise when Michael Gross and Jamie Kennedy return to fight Graboids when they head to Canada to investigate a series of deadly giant worm attacks. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & Date)
May 4:
Altered Perception: When the government attempts to produce a designer drug aimed at correcting the false perceptions that people develop during trauma and stress, the implications are deadly.
The Con Is On: In an effort to avoid paying off a massive gambling debt to a notorious mobster in England, a couple flees to Los Angeles and hatch a jewel theft plot. (VOD)
May 5:
Pup Star: World Tour: Family film takes audiences around the world, as the action-packed spin on popular TV singing competitions goes global when "Tiny," the adorable singing Yorkie pup, packs her bags for far-away places from Africa to India and beyond. (Digital)
All I Wish
(2017) Sharon Stone, Tony Goldwyn, Famke Janssen, Ellen Burstyn, Gilles Marini, Liza Lapira. Career, friendships, hardships, relationships, hook-ups, credit card debt, being a daughter, being a grown-up ... it’s all a bit much for Senna Berges (Stone) in this romantic comedy. Zipping around Los Angeles on her Vespa and living a shaggy, freewheeling existence of her own design, Senna marks her 46th birthday as she has many others: Talking to her loving-but-concerned mom Celia (Burstyn), hanging out with her pal Darla (Lapira), and hoping to make a sale with boutique store owner Vanessa (Janssen), who thinks Senna’s handbag fashions aren’t working. As each year brings another birthday, Senna re-evaluates her life -- and reconsiders dating Adam (Goldwyn), the transplanted Boston lawyer Darla once set her up with. But as consecutive birthdays come and go, Senna has her own “coming of age.” Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: Interviews with the cast and crew, gag reel. (Universal).
Dear Murderer, Series 1
(2017) Two-disc set with five episodes. New Zealand legal mini-series based on the true story of the life of one of that country's most infamous characters, the criminal barrister Mike Bungay, a flawed, but unique rogue. This raucous drama tells the true story of New Zealand’s most controversial lawyer, Mike Bungay. After overcoming a miserable upbringing, Bungay decides to go to law school based on the results of a coin toss. In a high-profile career that begins in the 1960s and spans decades, he makes enemies of fellow lawyers and clients alike with his unconventional methods and his penchant for fast cars, married women, and whisky. Successfully defending alleged murderers, spies, and gang members with his own brand of justice earns him notoriety — and the occasional slap in the face. But no matter how many legal victories he wins, Bungay can’t quit his self-destructive habits and escape his own inner demons.
Formats: DVD.
(Acorn Media).
The Half-Breed
(1916) In an attempt to brand himself as a serious actor, the smiling swashbuckler Douglas Fairbanks starred in "The Half-Breed" (1916), a Western melodrama written by Anita Loos and directed with flair by Allan Dwan. Fairbanks stars as Lo Dorman, who has been ostracized from society because of his mixed ethnicity -- his Native American mother was abandoned by his white father. When Lo catches the eye of the rich white debutante Nellie (Jewel Carmen), he becomes a target for the racist Sheriff Dunn (Sam De Grasse), who wants to break them up and take Nellie for his own. This love triangle becomes a quadrangle with the arrival of Teresa (Alma Rubens), who is on the run from the law. Through fire and fury Lo must decide who and what he truly loves. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Extras: "The Good Bad Man" (1916), starring Douglas Fairbanks and directed by Allan Dwan, "Amazing Tales from the Archives: Restoring The Half-Breed," audio commentaries by Tracey Goessel and Robert Byrne, photo gallery. (Kino Classics).
Kaleidoscope
(2016) Toby Jones, Anne Reid, Sinead Matthews, Deborah Findlay. Twisty thriller unfolds in the darkest corners of a man’s mind. Recently released from prison, mild-mannered Carl quietly attempts to move on with his life. Just as he embarks on his first date in 15 years, Carl’s fresh start is shattered by the sudden reappearance of his domineering mother, whose presence awakens within him a deep-seated trauma. What unfolds is a brain-warping puzzle as reality and illusion, past and present collide and explode in violence. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: "The Making of Kaleidoscope" featurette, "Working in the Studio" featurette, "Keeping Up With The Joneses" featurette, theatrical trailer. (IFC Midnight/Scream Factory).
Legend of the Mountain
(1979 -- China) In King Hu's masterpiece, a traveling scholar is tasked with translating a Buddhist sutra said to have immense power over the spirits of the afterlife. During his research he loses his way in the mountains, encountering ghostly presences amid a haunting fantasia of color, light and landscape. King Hu rose to prominence in the 1960s and '70s as a superb director of wuxia films ("A Touch of Zen"), a popular Chinese action genre of swords, sorcery and chivalrous heroes. "Legend of the Mountain" comes from the director's late period, when his visual artistry was at the height of its powers. The film's astonishing nature scenes, shot on location in the Korean countryside, are reminiscent of Terrence Malick, while the reflective blend of myth and history is all Hu's own. Newly restored in 4K. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: Booklet essay by novelist Grady Hendrix, interview with film critic Tony Rayns, video essay by film critic Travis Crawford, photo gallery, trailer. (Kino Classics).
Marx Reloaded
(2011) Can Karl Marx's ideals still help us understand capitalism, inequality and the global economic and financial crisis of recent years? Today, a new generation of philosophers, artists and political activists are returning to Marx's ideas in order to consider: Is a world without or beyond capitalism possible? "Marx Reloaded" explores these questions with leading thinkers on Marxism, including those at the forefront of its popular revival. The film also includes interviews with leading skeptics, as well as light-hearted animated sequences which follow Marx’s adventures through the matrix of his own ideas. Amongst the experts: Slavoj Zizek, Antonio Negri, Jacques Ranciere, Norbert Bolz, Micha Brumlik, John Gray, Michael Hardt, Nina Power, Peter Sloterdijk and Alberto Toscano. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: The short film "Marx for Beginners." Based on the book by the Mexican cartoonist, Rius, "Marx for Beginners" is a humorous animated film that highlights Marx's most influential ideas and places them in context with Western civilization by introducing Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle, da Vinci, Copernicus, Galileo and Descartes. And all in 6-minutes.(Icarus Films).
PAW Patrol: Summer Rescues
(2018) Eight episodes of the "rescuing" pups as they "Save the Fireworks," "Save the Carnival," "Save a Ferris Wheel," "Save a Camping Trip," "Save Dude Ranch Danny," "Save the Chili Cook-Off," "Save a Sleepover" and "Save a Windsurfing Pig."
Formats: DVD. (Nickelodeon/Paramount).
Please Stand By
(2018) Dakota Fanning, Toni Collette, Alice Eve, Patton Oswalt. The world is a confusing place for Wendy (Dakota Fanning). As a fiercely independent and brilliant young woman with autism, Wendy longs to leave the regimen of her group home and
Spying on the Royals
(2017) On the weekend of December 5, 1936, a frazzled King Edward VIII sat alone at Buckingham Palace. In secret, he telephoned his brother Bertie to tell him of his major decision -- that he could no longer be King if it meant abandoning the woman he loved, Wallis Simpson. But little did the royal brothers know that others were listening to their call. Declassified documents bring to light the secret story behind the events that stunned the world 80 years ago, detailing the most controversial espionage operation in British history. The targets were none other than King Edward VIII and his feisty American lover Wallis Simpson. Both were considered major security threats and were suspected of having Nazi sympathies by both Britain and America. This top-secret surveillance operation involved hundreds of spies over 11 years, spanning two continents, eight countries, and the Atlantic Ocean. Edward and Wallis were bugged, wire-tapped, and followed -- on the orders of both the British prime minister and the American president. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Public Media Distribution).
The Violent Professionals
(1973 -- Italy) Tough cop Giorgio (Luc Merenda) doesn't like to play by the rules, going as far as gunning down a ruthless criminal in broad daylight. After he's suspended from the force and his boss is murdered, he goes on a brutal undercover dive into the criminal underworld to expose a criminal organization with no respect for authority. Starring Richard Conte with a powerhouse score by the great composers Guido and Maurizio De Angelis, this blistering Italian crime classic blazes with mind-blowing car chases and gunshots. Directed by cult filmmaker Sergio Martino. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Trailer. (Kino/Code Red).
Peter Rabbit
Peter Rabbit, the mischievous and adventurous hero who has captivated generations of readers, now takes on the starring role of his own cute, contemporary comedy with attitude. In the film, Peter's feud with Mr. McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) escalates to greater heights than ever before as they rival for the affections of the warm-hearted animal lover who lives next door (Rose Byrne). James Corden, with playful spirit and wild charm, voices the character of Peter.
Vitals: Director: Will Gluck. Stars: Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Debicki, Margot Robbie, James Corden.
2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 95 min., Family, Box office gross: $113.277 million, Sony.
Extras: "Shake Your Cotton-Tail Dance Along," "Mischief In the Making." Blu-ray adds “Flopsy Turvy” mini movie featuring Peter’s precocious sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail, narrated by Margot Robbie as Flopsy. When Flospy sets out to prove that anything her sisters can do, she can do better, she soon learns that when times get tough, sisters come together. 
12 Strong
Set in the harrowing days following 9/11, a U.S. Special Forces team, led by their new Captain, Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), is chosen to be the first U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan for an extremely dangerous mission. There, in the rugged mountains, they must convince Northern Alliance General Dostum (Navid Negahban) to join forces with them to fight their common adversary: the Taliban and their Al Qaeda allies. In addition to overcoming mutual distrust and a vast cultural divide, the Americans—accustomed to state-of-the-art warfare—must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghani horse soldiers. But despite their uneasy bond, the new allies face overwhelming odds: outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy that does not take prisoners.
Vitals: Director: Nicolai Fuglsig. Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, Said Taghmaoui, Elsa Pataky, William Fichtner, Rob Riggle.
2018, CC, MPAA rating: R, 130 min., Drama, Box office gross: $45.500 million, Warner.
Extras: "12 Strong: The Making of an Impossible Mission," "Monumental Effort: Building America’s Response Monument."
Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built
Inspired by true events. On an isolated stretch of land 50 miles outside of San Francisco sits the most haunted house in the world. Built by Sarah Winchester, (Helen Mirren) heiress to the Winchester fortune, it is a house that knows no end. Constructed in an incessant twenty-four hour a day, seven day a week mania for decades, it stands seven stories tall and contains hundreds of rooms. To the outsider it looks like a monstrous monument to a disturbed woman's madness. But Sarah is not building for herself, for her niece (Sarah Snook) or for the brilliant Doctor Eric Price (Jason Clarke) whom she has summoned to the house. She is building a prison, an asylum for hundreds of vengeful ghosts -- of people killed by the Winchester rifle -- and the most terrifying among them have a score to settle with the Winchesters.
Vitals: Director: Peter Spierig, Michael Spierig. Stars: Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, Sarah Snook.
2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 99 min., Horror-Mystery, Box office gross: $24.953
million, Lionsgate.
Extras: “Driven by the Spirits: The Making of Winchester” featurette.
Capitalism
(2014) Three-disc boxed set with six episodes plus a new 24-page booklet with information about the film, its making and its participants. "Capitalism" is an ambitious and accessible documentary series that looks at the history of the ideas and social forces that have shaped our capitalist world. Blending interviews with some of the world's great historians, economists, anthropologists and social critics with on-the-ground footage shot in 22 countries, "Capitalism" questions the myth of the unfettered free market, explores the nature of debt and commodities and retraces some of the great economic debates of the last 200 years. Ranked among the top 10 television programs of the year in France, where it premiered. Featured participants include the Noam Chomsky, economist Kari Polanyi Levitt, activist and professor David Graeber, economist Thomas Piketty (author of the international best-seller "Capital in the Twenty-First Century"), and the former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Icarus Films).
Followers
(2017) Amanda Delaney, Justin Maina. Brook and Caleb, a social media celebrity couple, are celebrating their special anniversary on a camping trip deep in the woods of sunny Florida. They plan on recording the entire trip for their fans, and Caleb even has a special surprise for her to make this weekend extra special. But they are not alone. Helpless and cut off from all communication, Brook and Caleb are being followed by Nick and Jake, two aspiring filmmakers hell-bent on filming a documentary on how easy it is to track someone down through social media ... and kill them. Formats: DVD. (Synkronized).
In Between (Bar Bahar)
(2016 -- Israel) Maysaloun Hamoud's remarkable debut feature follows Laila (Mouna Hawa), Salma (Sana Jammelieh), and Nur (Shaden Kanboura), three strong, independent-minded Palestinian women who share an apartment in the vibrant heart of Tel Aviv. Away from the constraints of their families and tradition, they find themselves "in between" the free and unfettered lives they aspire to lead and the restrictions still imposed on them by society. Laila, a criminal lawyer with a wicked wit, loves to burn off her workday stress in the underground club scene. Salma, slightly more subdued, is a DJ and bartender. Nur is a younger, religious Muslim who moves into the apartment in order to study at the university; she's also intrigued and intimidated by her two sophisticated roommates. When her conservative fiancé visits, he is horrified by her secular friends, entreating her to hasten their marriage, leave Tel Aviv, and assume her rightful role as a wife. She refuses, and his violent rebuttal leaves all of the women shaken. Salma and Laila also face turmoil: Laila has found love with a modern Muslim man whose acceptance proves less than unconditional, and Salma discovers that her Christian family in a northern Galilean village is not as liberal as they claim. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, bonus short film: "Scent of the Morning" (directed by Maysaloun Hamoud) In 1982 Beirut, a man decides to make a cup of coffee to distract himself from the sounds of crashing bombs across the city. (Film Movement).
In the Fade
(2017 -- Germany) Diane Kruger, Numan Acar, Denis Moschitto. Out of nowhere, Katja’s (Kruger) life falls apart when her husband Nuri (Acar,) and little son Rocco are killed in a bomb attack. Her friends and family try to give her the support she needs, and Katja somehow manages to make it through the funeral. But the mind-numbing search for the perpetrators and reasons behind the senseless killing complicate Katja’s painful mourning, opening wounds and doubts. Danilo (Moschitto), a lawyer and Nuri’s best friend, represents Katja in the eventual trial against the two suspects: a young couple from the neo-Nazi scene. The trial pushes Katja to the edge, but there’s simply no alternative for her: she wants justice.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: "Behind In The Fade: The Story" with Diane Kruger and Fatih Akin (writer-director), "Inside In The Fade with Fatih Akin": Diane Kruger and Denis Moschitto, interviews with Diane Kruger and Fatih Akin. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Once Upon a Time
(2017 -- China) Liu Yifei, Yang, Yikuan Yan, Jin Luo, Chun Li. Visually spectacular fantasy adventure follows an immortal woman who reconnects with a love from her past life. Bai Qian, a goddess and monarch from the Heavenly Realms, is sent to the mortal world to undergo a trial to become a High Goddess. There, she meets Ye Hua, with whom she falls in love and marries. When an old enemy reappears in her life, everything she holds dear is threatened. Formats: Blu-ray, Digital. (Well Go USA).
Peter Rabbit
(2018) Rose Byrne, Domhnall Gleeson, Daisy Ridley, Elizabeth Debicki, Margot Robbie, James Corden. Feature adaptation of Beatrix Potter's classic tale of a rebellious rabbit trying to sneak into a farmer's vegetable garden. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray, VOD, Digital, Movies Anywhere. Extras: "Shake Your Cotton-Tail Dance Along," "Mischief In the Making." Blu-ray adds “Flopsy Turvy” mini movie featuring Peter’s precocious sisters, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cotton-tail, narrated by Margot Robbie as Flopsy. When Flospy sets out to prove that anything her sisters can do, she can do better, she soon learns that when times get tough, sisters come together. (Sony).
return to life with her sister’s family and their new baby, but she must first prove herself. As a lover of all-things-"Star Trek," Wendy writes fantasy stories in her free time. To her, people are an indecipherable code, so she uses her "Star Trek" filter to understand them. When a screenplay competition presents itself, Wendy decides to finish her 500-page "Star Trek" script and enter. Now, the problem is getting it there. In order to meet the deadline, Wendy must travel hundreds of miles outside her protected boundaries to submit her script in person. With her little dog Pete in her purse and a few dollars in her pocket, Wendy boldly goes where she has never gone before. And with her no-nonsense therapist (Toni Collette) and big sister Audrey (Alice Eve) following close behind, Wendy, with the help of some colorful friends she meets along the way, must learn how to follow her dream and find her place in a world she hopes will accept her. Extras: "Making of Please Stand By," deleted scenes.Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell
(2018) Michael Gross and Jamie Kennedy return for more outrageous action in the latest installment of the Tremors franchise. Burt Gummer (Gross) and his son Travis Welker (Kennedy) find themselves up to their ears in Graboids and Ass-Blasters when they head to Canada to investigate a series of deadly giant worm attacks. Arriving at a remote research facility in the arctic tundra, Burt begins to suspect that Graboids are secretly being weaponized, but before he can prove his theory, he is sidelined by Graboid venom. With just 48 hours to live, the only hope is to create an antidote from fresh venom — but to do that, someone will have to figure out how to milk a Graboid.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras:"The Making of Tremors: A Cold Day in Hell" with filmmakers, cast, and crew; "Anatomy of a Scene" break down of the first underwater Graboid attack; "Inside Chang’s Market." (Universal).
12 Strong
(2018) Chris Hemsworth, Michael Shannon, Michael Pena, Said Taghmaoui, Elsa Pataky, William Fichtner, Rob Riggle. Set in the harrowing days following 9/11 when a U.S. Special Forces team, led by their new Captain, Mitch Nelson (Chris Hemsworth), are chosen to be the first U.S. troops sent into Afghanistan. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: "12 Strong: The Making of an Impossible Mission," "Monumental Effort: Building America’s Response Monument."
(Warner).
Winchester: The House That Ghosts Built
(2018) Helen Mirren, Jason Clarke, Sarah Snook. Helen Mirren stars as the infamous and eccentric heiress Sarah Winchester, who built a house to serve as a prison, an asylum, for hundreds of vengeful ghosts -- of people killed by the Winchester rifle.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: “Driven by the Spirits: The Making of Winchester” featurette. (Lionsgate).
© 1996 -- 2018 OnVideo. All rights reserved
April 30, 2018
(ISSN 1094-3676).
|
|
