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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
May 6:
Native Son: Tells the story of Bigger Thomas (Ashton Sanders), a young African-American living in Chicago who is hired as a chauffeur for affluent businessman Will Dalton (Bill Camp). As Thomas enters this seductive new world of money and power -- including a precarious relationship with Dalton’s daughter, Mary (Margaret Qualley) -- he faces unforeseen choices and perilous circumstances that will alter the course of his life forever. Based on the novel by Richrd Wright. (HBO Download)
May 7:
Bauhaus Spirit: 100 Years of Bauhaus: Nearly a hundred years ago, a radical artistic utopia was born in Germany. Founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius, Bauhaus was supposed to unite sculpture, painting, design and architecture into a single combined constructive discipline. Bauhaus constituted one of the most significant contributions to everyday 20th-century culture. (DVD release: Day & date)
Climax: Hypnotic and provocative horror film centers on a troupe of younger dancers who, while rehearsing in an empty school building, learn their sangria is laced with LSD and descend into a passionate and violent delirium. (VOD: May 14, DVD, Blu-ray release: May 28)
Impossible Mission: Rosa, a master assassin with a knack for poisons, sets out on a search and destroy mission against a spiritual leader, but conflicts within her own organization spell disaster for her long before she ever closes in on her target. (DVD release: Day & date)
Peel: Emile Hirsch stars in this quirky, coming-of-age story about a 30-year-old man who leaves his childhood home on a journey to find and rebuild his broken family -- and the eclectic collection of misfits he meets along the way. (Digital)
Room for Rent: Veteran actress Lin Shaye stars as a lonely widow who rents out a room to a mysterious drifter to make easy money, only to become obsessed with her much younger guest, making him the object of her deepest romantic fantasies. (Digital only)
Shoah: Four Sisters: Completed shortly before Claude Lanzmann's death at 92 in July 2018, this is the long-awaited follow-up to his monumental "Shoah", which shook the world upon its release in 1985 as a profound cinematic memorial to the Holocaust. Four Jewish women, survivors of unimaginable Nazi horrors during the Holocaust, tell their individual stories. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & date)
Tough Guy: Chronicles the life and death of professional Canadian hockey player Bob Probert, who played for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks during his career in the late 80s -- early 2000s and was best known as an enforcer. (VOD, Digital only)
May 13:
Veep Season 7: The new season finds Selina Meyer (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) trying to gain traction in early primary states, wooing uber-wealthy donors while navigating threats from primary challengers, including aide-turned-congressman Jonah Ryan. Selina’s band of misfits is also back, except for Mike, who’s been banished from her orbit and is now covering the presidential campaign, having been replaced by his ongoing nemesis in the press, reporter Leon West. (HBO Download)
Arthur Miller: Writer: One of the greatest playwrights of the 20th century, Arthur Miller created such celebrated works as "Death of a Salesman" and "The Crucible," which continue to move audiences around the world today. He also made headlines for being targeted by the House Un-American Activities Committee at the height of the McCarthy Era and entering into a tumultuous marriage with Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. Told from the unique perspective of his daughter, filmmaker Rebecca Miller. (HBO Download)
Agatha Raisin, Series 2
(2018) Three-disc set with three feature-length episodes. Based on M.C. Beaton’s bestselling books, Agatha Raisin stars Ashley Jensen as a London PR whizz turned amateur sleuth, who becomes entangled in mischief, mayhem, and murder when she opts for early retirement in a small village in the Cotswolds. Drawn into the town’s murders, Agatha attempts to solve the crimes ... often in rather unorthodox ways. Formats: DVD. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, "Agatha Asks." (Acorn Media).
All About Lily Chou Chou
(2001 -- Japan) Hayato Ichihara, Shugo Oshinari, Ayumi Ito, Takao Ohsawa, Yu Aoi. Shunji Iwai's acclaimed and profound Japanese coming-of-age story. For young people around the world, music is often the only salvation when pain and suffering becomes too much to bear. Yuichi (Hayato Ichihara) is in 8th grade and worships Lily Chou-Chou, a Björk-like singer whose lush and transcendent music provides the perfect escape from his brutal surroundings. Yuichi also finds solace as the moderator of an online chat room dedicated to his pop idol, but as his real life nightmare of teenage prostitution, crime and bullying grows more untenable, will Lily be enough to save him from isolation and despair? Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: Making-of featurette, new essay by Deputy Director of the NY Asian Film Festival, Stephen Cremin with prologue by Shunji Iwai. (Film Movement).
Better Call Saul: Season Four
(2018) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes. In the critically acclaimed drama’s fourth season, his brother’s death catalyzes Jimmy McGill’s transformation into “Saul Goodman.” Now Jimmy steps into the criminal world, putting his future as a lawyer — and his relationship with Kim Wexler — in deep jeopardy. Meanwhile, Mike Ehrmantraut’s work for Gustavo Fring throws the cartel into chaos, with tragic results. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: Gag Reel, "Slippin' Kimmy" featurette, cast & crew audio commentaries for all 10 episodes, 10 Madrigal Security training videos with Mike Ehrmantraut, short film: "No Picnic." Blu-ray adds seven deleted scenes, two featurettes: "Flashing Forward, Looking Back" and "Constructing the Superlab," storyboard comparisons and directorial walk-through with introductions by co-creator and executive producer Peter Gould. (Sony).
Blaze
(2018) Directed, co-written, and produced by four-time Academy Award-nominee Ethan Hawke, this musical biopic is inspired by the life of Blaze Foley (Ben Dickey), the unsung songwriting legend of the outlaw music movement that gave the world the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. "Blaze" weaves together three different periods of time, braiding re-imagined versions of Blaze’s past, present, and future. The different strands explore his love affair with Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat); his last, dark night on Earth; and the impact his music had on his fans, friends, and foes. Featuring unforgettable performances and stylish direction, "Blaze" is a glorious exploration of the profound highs and lows of Foley’s life. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras:
Audio commentary by director Ethan Hawke, "Behind the scenes of Blaze" featurette, theatrical trailer. (Shout! Factory).
Everybody Knows
(2018 -- Spain) Penélope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Ricardo Darín. Laura (Cruz) and her children travel to her hometown, a small Spanish village, to attend her sister's wedding. An unexpected crisis soon exposes the family's hidden past, and dark secrets long hidden come to light. A thriller from Oscar-winning filmmaker Asghar Farhadi. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, Digital. (Universal).
George Carlin: 40 Years of Comedy
(1997) Broadcast live from the Wheeler Theater in Aspen, Colorado, this was the great comedian's 10th special for HBO. Different from all of Carlin's previous specials, this award-winning program is a career retrospective hosted by a young Jon Stewart, who conducts a lengthy interview with his comedic hero. During the interview, Carlin talks about his early life and how his upbringing prepared him for a career in comedy. Highlights from this special include Carlin performing three new, thought-provoking pieces of material: "Advertising," "Pets" and "American Bullshit." Some of the material performed here is unique to this special and was not repeated again. Also features classic Carlin clips from the first four decades of his career, a treasure trove of the work of one of stand-up comedy's most original, hilarious and enduring artists. Formats: DVD. (MPI Media Group).
Just Say Goodbye
(2018) Katerina Eichenberger, Max MacKenzie, William Galatis, Jesse Walters, Pamela Jayne Morgan, Charlotte Cusmano Zanolli. After enduring years of abuse from his alcoholic father and the school bully Chase, Jesse Peterson tells his best friend Sarah that he plans on committing suicide. After promising to tell no one, Sarah takes it upon herself to try to stop him, taking any means necessary. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Leomark Studios). Due May 10.
Lady Killers
(2019) Arye Gross, Alexandra Barreto, Peter Shinkoda, Christina Grance, Shaun Parker. Homicide detective Pete Martel gathers his old college frat brothers for a reunion game of high-stakes sexual conquest. Joined in their escapades by two new players, the men commit several crimes in their quest for bragging rights. Once the new winner is crowned, the real game begins as one-by-one the men turn up dead. Formats: DVD. (Indican Pictures).
Never Ever
(2016 - France) Mathieu Amalric, Julia Roy, Jeanne Baliba. Based on Don DeLillo's acclaimed novella "The Body Artist," the film swirls around a self-centered filmmaker, Rey, (Amalric) who, while attending a museum retrospective of his work, wanders into an adjoining gallery and becomes mesmerized by a beautiful young performance artist, Laura (Roy). The two fall madly in love and embark on a wild and delirious affair. Living together in Rey's secluded seaside estate, the lovers believe they have found eternal bliss. Months later, Rey dies in a tragic accident, leaving Laura alone in the house by herself ... or so she thinks. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Film Movement).
Sesame Street: Awesome Alphabet Collection
(2019) Elmo and his Sesame Street friends explore every letter of the alphabet in this new collection, brought to you in Sesame Street’s 50th anniversary year. Highlights include classics "The Beetles Perform Letter B" and "C is for Cookie," animations, pop culture parodies, and favorite segments from recent seasons. Exploring the alphabet alongside their furry friends is an all-star lineup of celebrity guests. Norah Jones duets with the letter Y, Tori Kelly tries a little kindness, and Pharrell Williams belts it out for the letter B. Maya Angelou stops by to talk hugs, Sheryl Crow helps "I" soak up some sun, and Ricky Gervais tries singing a lullaby to a sleepy Elmo. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: (Shout! Kids/Sesame Workshop).
Sex Madness Revealed
(2018) Patton Oswalt, Rob Zabrecky, Patrick Cooper. Playfully exploring the outer reaches of cult film fandom, "Sex Madness Revealed" is both an ingenious twist on the audio commentary and a satire of the wisecrack track (featuring the voice of "MST3K" regular Patton Oswalt). Using as it foundation a low-budget sex hygiene picture from 1938 ("Sex Madness," aka "Human Wreckage"), Jimmy Morris (Oswalt) of the popular "Film Dick" podcast hosts an irreverent conversation with the filmmaker's grandson, the eerily emotionless Chester Holloway (Rob Zabrecky) while the film streams behind them. But as the on-screen plot unfolds, a much darker story unravels within the recording booth, about the sinister mastermind behind the film, and the unorthodox methods he employed. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Kino Lorber).
Shoah: Four Sisters
(2018) Completed shortly before Claude Lanzmann's death at 92 in July 2018, this is the long-awaited follow-up to his monumental "Shoah", which shook the world upon its release in 1985 as a profound cinematic memorial to the Holocaust. Four Jewish women, survivors of unimaginable Nazi horrors during the Holocaust, tell their individual stories. Each of their testimonies was filmed more than 40 years ago as Lanzmann collected first-hand accounts in preparation for what would become the nine-and-a-half-hour "Shoah." Starting in 1999, Lanzmann made several films that could be considered satellites of "Shoah," comprising interviews conducted in the 1970s that didn't make it into the final, monumental work. In the last years of the director's life, he decided to devote a film to each of four women from four different areas of Eastern Europe with four different destinies, each finding herself improbably alive after war's end: Ruth Elias from Ostravia, Czechoslovakia; Paula Biren from Lodz, Poland; Ada Lichtman from further south in Krakow; and Hannah Marton from Cluj, or Kolozsva´r, in Transylvania, Romania. The four films that make up "Shoah: Four Sisters" are titled "The Hippocratic Oath," "The Merry Flea," "Noah's Ark" and "Baluty," and together they remind audiences of the immense courage it took for these witnesses to return to their painful past as they retell personal tragedies that represent the larger tragedy of the Holocaust. Formats: Two-disc DVD, two-disc Blu-ray, Digital. (Cohen Film Collection).
Strawberry Flavored Plastic
(2018) Aidan Bristow, Nicholas Urda, Andres Montejo. When Errol and Ellis, two aspiring documentarians embarking on their first feature, put out a feeler to their local community for individuals with interesting stories, they hear back from and settle on the tale of Noel, a man who has just been released from prison after a nine-year incarceration for a crime of passion. After several weeks of shooting, they inadvertently discover that Noel’s story is fabricated: he has never been to prison. They soon find out that he is an at-large and very active serial killer who has never been apprehended by authorities. Now too entangled and implicit in Noel’s horrific crimes, the duo are stuck between deciding on the right thing to do and possibly making the most sensationalized and infamous documentary ever made. Formats: DVD, VOD. (Breaking Glass Pictures).
Unforgotten, Season 3
(2018) Two-disc set with all six episodes of the British procedural. When human remains are found by a motorway near London, the crime-solving duo Cassie and Sunny are called to the scene. Dogged work leads the team to Hayley Reid, a 16-year-old girl who went missing on the eve of the millennium. The police’s failure to find out what happened to Hayley wrecked her family’s life. Cassie’s compassion makes her determined to correct the mistakes made by the original investigating team - whatever the cost is to herself. Formats: DVD, Digital. (PBS Distribution).
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
It’s been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are now facing a huge new threat: LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than it can be rebuilt. The battle to defeat the invaders and restore harmony to the LEGO universe will take Emmet (Chris Pratt), Lucy (Elizabeth Banks), Batman (Will Arnett) and their friends to faraway, unexplored worlds, including a galaxy filled with fantastic planets, strange characters and catchy new songs. It will test their courage, creativity and Master Building skills, and reveal just how special they really are.
Vitals: Director: Mike Mitchell. Stars: Voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Jadon Sand, Brooklynn Prince, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade.
2018, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 107 min., Family Animation, Box office gross: 105.114 million, Warner.
Extras: Fun behind-the-scenes commentary by the filmmakers; "They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2" featurette; "Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short": "LEGO Sets in Action" animations of the LEGO product tied to The LEGO Movie 2; "LEGO Designers"featurette; outtakes and deleted Scenes; "Super Cool Music Video" by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island; promotion spots. Blu-ray adds "Everything is Awesome Sing-along" with trivia, games and more.
What Men Want
Ali Davis (Taraji P. Henson) is a successful sports agent who’s constantly boxed out by her male colleagues. After a wild night out with her girls, she mysteriously gains the ability to hear men’s thoughts. With her newfound power, Ali looks to outsmart her colleagues as she races to sign the next basketball superstar, but the lengths she has to go to will put her relationship with her best friends and new love interest to the test. Vitals: Director: Adam Shankman. Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Richard Roundtree, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Erykah Badu, Max Greenfield, Tracy Morgan.
2019, CC, MPAA rating: R, 117 min., Comedy, Box office gross: $18.232 million, Paramount.
Blu-ray extras: Commentary with director Adam Shankman; Deleted & Extended Scenes; Gag Reel; "The Dream Team" behind-the-scenes featurette; "Flipping the Narrative" to discover how the film flips the script on what women must do to succeed in a man's world; "What DO Men Want?"; "Poker Night" featurette; "Ali + Athletes" with cameos from superstar athletes; "Sister Spills the Tea" infomercial. 
The Prodigy
Sarah, a mother, feels that her young son Miles' disturbing behavior signals that an evil, possibly supernatural force has overtaken him. Fearing for her family's safety, Sarah must choose between her maternal instinct to love and protect Miles and a desperate need to investigate what -- or who -- is causing his dark turn. She is forced to look for answers in the past, taking the audience on a wild ride; one where the line between perception and reality becomes frighteningly blurry.
Vitals: Director: Nicholas McCarthy. Stars: Jackson Robert Scott, Taylor Schilling, Peter Mooney, Colm Feore.
2019, CC, MPAA rating: R, 131 min., Horror, Box office gross: $14.855 million, Fox.
Extras: Commentary by director Nicholas McCarthy, promotional featurettes, gallery.
Bauhaus Spirit: 100 Years of Bauhaus
(2018 -- Germany) 2019 marks the centennial of the Bauhaus Movement. Nearly a hundred years ago, a radical artistic utopia was born in Germany. Founded in 1919 by Walter Gropius, Bauhaus was supposed to unite sculpture, painting, design and architecture into a single combined constructive discipline. Bauhaus constituted one of the most significant contributions to everyday 20th-century culture, but it was never just an artistic experiment. Confronted with the social conditions of the time, as well as the experience of World War I, the movement concerned itself with the political and social connotations of design from the very outset. Bauhaus’s history is not just the history of art, but also the history of an era that stretches from the early 20th century to the modern day. This documentary describes the fascinating story of Bauhaus as a statement, but also the failure and renewal of a social utopia. It tells of artists, scientists and architects today, and how their challenges might relate to Bauhaus. Formats: DVD, VOD. (Icarus Films).
The Grand Duel
(1972) "The Grand Duel" is an archetypal Spaghetti Western that boasts many of the genre's classic hallmarks, including action-packed gunfights, wild stunts and an impressive climactic showdown. Genre stalwart Lee Van Cleef stars as a gnarled ex-sheriff called Clayton who comes to the aid of a young Philipp Wermeer (Alberto Dentice), a fugitive framed for the murder of a powerful figure called The Patriarch. Clayton helps Philipp fend off attacks from bounty hunters in a series of thrilling gunfights before the two make their way to Jefferson to confront three villains known as the Saxon brothers, and reveal who really killed The Patriarch. A complex tale of revenge penned by prolific giallo writer Ernesto Gastaldi ("Torso," "The Case of the Scorpion's Tail"), "The Grand Duel" benefits from a beguiling central performance from Lee Van Cleef and assured helmsmanship from Giancarlo Santi (assistant director to Sergio Leone on "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" and "Once Upon a Time in the West"). Add to this brew a memorable and tuneful score by composer Luis Bacalov ("Django") and the stage is set for one of the grandest of all the Italian westerns. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: New audio commentary by film critic, historian and theorist Stephen Prince; "An Unconventional Western," a newly filmed interview with director Giancarlo Santi; "The Last of the Great Westerns," a newly filmed interview with screenwriter Ernesto Gastaldi; "Cowboy by Chance," an interview with the actor Alberto Dentice (AKA Peter O'Brien); "Out of the Box," a newly filmed interview with producer Ettore Rosboch; "The Day of the Big Showdown," a newly filmed interview with assistant director Harald Buggenig; "Saxon City Showdown," a newly filmed video appreciation by the academic Austin Fisher; original Italian and international theatrical trailers; extensive image gallery featuring stills, posters, lobby cards and home video sleeves, drawn from the Mike Siegel Archive and other collections; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matt Griffin; "Two Different Duels," a comparison between the original cut and the longer German cut of "The Grand Duel"; "Game Over," an obscure sci-fi short film from 1984 directed by Bernard Villiot and starring "The Grand Duel's" Marc Mazza; "Marc Mazza: Who Was the Rider on the Rain?", a video essay about the elusive actor Marc Mazza by tough-guy film expert Mike Malloy. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
The Heiress
(1949) Directed with a keen sense of ambiguity by William Wyler, this film, based on a hit stage adaptation of Henry James's "Washington Square," pivots on a question of motive. When shy, fragile Catherine Sloper (Olivia de Havilland, in a heartbreaking, Oscar-winning turn), the daughter of a wealthy New York doctor, begins to receive calls from the handsome spendthrift Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift), she becomes possessed by the promise of romance. Are his smoldering professions of love sincere, as she believes they are? Or is Catherine's calculating father (Ralph Richardson) correct in judging Morris a venal fortune seeker? A graceful drawing-room drama boasting Academy Award-winning costume design by Edith Head, "The Heiress" is also a piercing character study riven by emotional uncertainty and lacerating cruelty, in a triumph of classic Hollywood filmmaking at its most psychologically nuanced. New, restored 4K digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: New conversation between screenwriter Jay Cocks and film critic Farran Smith Nehme; New program about the film's costumes featuring costume collector and historian Larry McQueen; "The Costume Designer," a restored 1950 short film featuring costume designer Edith Head; appearance by actor Olivia de Havilland on a 1979 episode of "The Paul Ryan Show"; excerpts from a 1973 tribute to director William Wyler on "The Merv Griffin Show," featuring Wyler, de Havilland, and actors Bette Davis and Walter Pidgeon; Wyler's acceptance speech from the American Film Institute's 1976 "Salute to William Wyler"; interview with actor Ralph Richardson filmed in 1981 for the documentary "Directed by William Wyler"; trailer; an essay by critic Pamela Hutchinson. (The Criterion Collection).
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part
(2018) Voices of Chris Pratt, Elizabeth Banks, Will Arnett, Tiffany Haddish, Stephanie Beatriz, Alison Brie, Nick Offerman, Charlie Day, Maya Rudolph, Will Ferrell, Jadon Sand, Brooklynn Prince, Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Richard Ayoade. It's been five years since everything was awesome and the citizens are facing a huge new threat: Lego Duplo invaders from outer space, wrecking everything faster than they can rebuild. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: Fun behind-the-scenes commentary by the filmmakers; "They Come in Pieces: Assembling The LEGO Movie 2" featurette; "Emmet’s Holiday Party: A LEGO Movie Short": "LEGO Sets in Action" animations of the LEGO product tied to The LEGO Movie 2; "LEGO Designers"featurette; outtakes and deleted Scenes; "Super Cool Music Video" by Beck featuring Robyn and The Lonely Island; promotion spots. Blu-ray adds "Everything is Awesome Sing-along" with trivia, games and more. (Warner).
My Scientology Movie
(2015) Documentarian Louis Theroux is denied admittance to the Church of Scientology's headquarters, setting into motion a clever, confrontational and funny plan to try and reveal the inner workings of the mysterious organization. Inspired by the Church’s use of filmmaking techniques, and with the aid of real ex-scientologists, Theroux uses unconventional methods to expose and antagonize the Church. In a bizarre twist, it becomes clear that the Church is also making a film about Louis Theroux. Formats: DVD. (Magnolia Home Entertainment).
The Prodigy
(2019) Jackson Robert Scott, Taylor Schilling, Peter Mooney, Colm Feore. A mother concerned about her young son's disturbing behavior thinks something supernatural may be affecting him. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: Commentary by director Nicholas McCarthy, promotional featurettes, gallery. (Fox).
What Men Want
(2019) Taraji P. Henson, Aldis Hodge, Richard Roundtree, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Erykah Badu, Max Greenfield, Tracy Morgan. A woman is boxed out by the male sports agents in her profession, but gains an unexpected edge over them when she develops the ability to hear men's thoughts. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Blu-ray extras: Commentary with director Adam Shankman; Deleted & Extended Scenes; Gag Reel; "The Dream Team" behind-the-scenes featurette; "Flipping the Narrative" to discover how the film flips the script on what women must do to succeed in a man's world; "What DO Men Want?"; "Poker Night" featurette; "Ali + Athletes" with cameos from superstar athletes; "Sister Spills the Tea" infomercial. (Paramount).
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May 5, 2019
(ISSN 1094-3676).
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