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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
American Bad Boy
(2015) Katt Williams, Obba Babatunde, Ciarra Carter, Antoine Cleveland, Orlando Brown. A young man has to take it all off to earn money to become a famous hip-hop artist. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Testimony" music video by Fella Soul. (Lionsgate).
Asmodexia
(2014 -- Spain) Lluís Marco, Claudia Pons. Five days in the lives of an exorcist and his granddaughter, working in the Barcelona area. Their mission is to help those possessed by The Evil One, an infection of the soul that is spreading fast among the most vulnerable members of society: children, mental patients, drug addicts. With a mysterious cult also following their every move, their battles are becoming increasingly difficult. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).
Blindsided (aka Penthouse North)
(2013) Michael Keaton, Michelle Monaghan, Andrew W. Walker. Journalist Sara (Monaghan), who lost her vision while on assignment in Iraq, is living a seemingly quiet life with her boyfriend Ryan, until she's taken hostage on New Year's Eve by a pair of murderous thieves -- including the dangerous Hollander (Keaton) -- who are on the hunt for diamonds they believe she's hiding. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Cinedigm).
Camp X-Ray
(2014) Kristen Stewart, Peyman Maadi, John Carroll Lynch, Lane Garrison. A young woman joins the military to be part of something bigger than herself and her small town roots. But she ends up as a new guard at Guantanamo Bay instead, where her mission is far from black and white. Surrounded by hostile jihadists and aggressive squadmates, she strikes up an unusual friendship with one of the detainees. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (IFC Films).
Falling Skies: The Complete Fourth Season
(2014) All 12 episodes of the sci-fi series that takes place in the chaotic aftermath of an alien attack that has left most of the world completely incapacitated. In the six months since the initial invasion, the few survivors have banded together outside major cities to begin the difficult task of fighting back. Each day is a test of survival as citizen soldiers work to protect the people in their care while also engaging in an insurgency campaign against the occupying alien force. In this season, the pressure continues to mount for survivors as they try to regain control of earth. Keeping up their fight in the war is becoming increasingly difficult as their hopes of life after the alien destruction become more of a distant reality. With the new capitol in Charleston, the 2nd Mass could end up revisiting old territory. Formats: Three-disc DVD: $39.98, two-disc Blu-ray: $49.99, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Character interviews, "Scarlett Byrne Inside the Episode," "Ghost in the Machine," "The Eye," "Exodus," "Evolve or Die," "Mind Wars," "Door Number Three," "Saturday Night Massacre," "A Thing With Feathers," "Till Death Do Us Part," "Drawing Straws," Season Finale Pt. 1 & 2 Comic Con panel interview featurette. (Warner).
Focus
(2015) Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, BD Wong. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Deleted scenes. Blu-ray adds "Masters of Misdirection: The Players in a Con" featurette, "Will Smith: Gentleman Thief," "Margot Robbie: Stealing Hearts," alternate opening. (Warner).
Jupiter Ascending
(2015) Dir.: Lana and Andy Wachowski; Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D'Arcy, Tim Pigott-Smith. Formats: DVD, 3D Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Jupiter Jones: Destiny Is Within Us," "Jupiter Ascending: Genetically Spliced Caine Wise: Interplanetary Warrior." Blu-ray adds "The Wachowskis: Minds Over Matter," "Worlds Within Worlds Within Worlds," "Bullet Time Evolved," "From Earth to Jupiter (And Everywhere in Between)." (Warner).
McFarland, USA
(2015) Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda, Michael Aguero. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Disney).
Once Upon a Sign DVD Series
(2015) DawnSignPress, a company that produces high quality children's American Sign Language products, has launched the "Once Upon a Sign" series of DVDs that re-create classic children's stories with clever modern themes performed by an all-deaf cast entirely in ASL with voice-over and English subtitles. The first three titles: "The New Goldilocks and the Three Bears in American Sign Language," "The Magic Mirror in American Sign Language" and "The New Little Red Riding Hood in American Sign Language." For ages 3 to 8, $15.95 each. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Fun Signs" recaps of key signs from each story. (DawnSignPress).
Parks & Recreation: Season Seven - The Farewell Season
(2015) Two-disc set with 13 episodes, $39.98. The year is 2017, and Leslie Knope's life has changed dramatically: she's now the mother of triplets and works for the National Parks Department but -- most shockingly -- has become sworn enemies with her former friend and mentor, Ron Swanson. Join Leslie's final acts of determination (and sometimes desperation) to make Pawnee "the greatest town in America" even better. Formats: DVD. Extras: Deleted scenes, "Behind the Scenes of the Farewell Season," gag reel, "The Story of Mouse Rat," commercials, "The Wisdom of Mayor Gunderson." (Universal).
Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Fifth Season
(2014) Five-disc set with 25 episodes, $59.98. ABC Family's #1 series. Season five begins in the moments following the epic Season Four finale, in which Ezra was shot, among other shocking acts and revelations. Alison is alive and back in Rosewood, and everyone is affected by her return -- but is she the same Alison after being on the run? Hanna's ex, Caleb, returns, but he, too, is changed. Plus, how does Mona fit into everything and what is Melissa hiding? With more questions than ever and other familiar faces back in Rosewood, there are now five pretty little liars trying to piece together who has been tormenting them. Includes the series' landmark 100th episode. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Good Girls, Bad Lies: The Stronger PLLs," "Pretty Little Liars: The Guys Are Back!," "Celebrating a Pretty 100th" featurette, "Christmas in Rosewood: Designing the Ice Ball," "We Love You to DeAth" fan appreciation episode, deleted scenes. (Warner).
Private Number
(2014) Tom Sizemore, Judd Nelson, Nicholle Tom, Hal Ozsan. A series of sinister phone calls haunt an ex-alcoholic writer as he struggles to finish a novel. Efforts to trace the calls result in dead ends, leaving the author with no choice but to solve the mystery himself. As he pieces together scant information he discovers the local police are hiding details about a horrific serial killer and, in his obsessive search for answers, he loses his grip on reality, and spirals downward into a maelstrom of violence and terror. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
Rizzoli & Isles: The Complete Fifth Season
(2014-15) Four-disc set with all 18 episodes, $39.98. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Stepping Through the Stunt: The Burden of Proof Bridge Sequence" featurette, gag reel, deleted scenes. (Warner).
1776 BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1972) William Daniels, Howard Da Silva, Ken Howard, Blythe Danner. Based on the international stage triumph that won the Tony Award and The New York Drama Critics Circle Award as Best Musical of the Year. In a director's cut meticulously restored by Sony Pictures Entertainment in 4K from the original camera negative, prepared under the guidance of director Peter H. Hunt, restoring the film to its original visual brilliance and featuring newly discovered material. The restored director's cut is based, in part, on an earlier restoration carried out for a 2002 DVD release. That version, also prepared with Hunt's oversight, added a number of scenes and lost elements that were missing from the original theatrical release. Among them was a musical number that had been dropped from the film by producer Jack L. Warner at the request of President Richard Nixon (who felt the scene cast conservatives in an unfavorable light). Further detective work for the new version uncovered additional "lost" material, including dialogue that had been changed over ratings concerns. Extras: New commentary with director Peter H. Hunt, William Daniels and Ken Howard; extended cut of the film; deleted and alternate scenes; four never-before-seen screen tests; original theatrical teaser and trailer. (Sony).
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
(2015) Voices of Tom Kenny, Antonio Banderas, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Douglas Lawrence, Slash. Formats: DVD, 3D/Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Blu-ray extras: "SpongeBob SquarePants: Out of His World," "When I Grow Up, I Want to Make Funny Sounds," "Becoming Burger Beard," "Making the Burger Mobile Chase Sequence," "It's Hip to Be SquarePants," "A Day in the Life of a Sponge," "Plankton Rules the World!," "Bikini Bottom Confidential: Rock Stars of the Sea," "International Sponge of Mystery" featurettes; "Bikini Bottom Boogie": "Thank Gosh It’s Monday," three SpongeBob Sing-Alongs: "Thank Gosh It's Monday," "Teamwork" and "Theme Song/Rap Battle," "Squeeze Me" Music Video by N.E.R.D.; deleted/extended/alternate/test scenes.. (Paramount).
The Squeeze
(2015) Jeremy Sumpter, Christopher McDonald, Jillian Murray, Michael Nouri. A humble young golf phenom from a small southern town gets hooked up with a flashy gambler and the pair start hustling their way to Las Vegas, where an infamous mobster sets up a million dollar match. The gangster threatens the young man's life if he doesn't lose and the gambler friend threatens his life if he doesn't win. Caught in the squeeze, his only chance is to pull off the biggest sting in the history of golf. Formats: DVD. (ARC Entertainment).
Tom and Jerry: The Gene Deitch Collection
(2014) Thirteen fully re-mastered theatrical shorts, produced by Gene Deitch. For decades, that tussling twosome Tom and Jerry have chased their way into the funny bones and hearts of moviegoers and television viewers in a variety of unforgettable cartoons. In the 1960s, acclaimed animation director Deitch was selected to bring a new set of Tom and Jerry shorts to life. Adding his own distinctive style to the famous cartoon, Deitch worked with William L. Snyder's Prague-based animation studio, Rembrandt Films, to create these memorable shorts. First time on DVD, completely re-mastered. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Tom and Jerry…and Gene: The Rembrandt Years," "Much Ado About Tom and Jerry." (Warner).
Jupiter Ascending
The Wachowskis at one time were revolutionary filmmakers. They brought us one of the best female buddy films ever, "Bound," and one of the best sci-fi films ever, "The Matrix," but after that latter milestone in cinematic storytelling and special effects the duo went fallow with a couple of duds ("Cloud Atlas" and "Speed Racer"). Unfortunately, "Jupiter Ascending" won't resurrect their reputation, thought it is an heroic effort. The film is a special effects sci-fi extravaganza that revolves around a normal young woman named Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) who gets caught up in a family battle between three interstellar siblings who are fighting over possession of the Earth. Channing Tatum plays a genetically-altered part-man, part wolf super-hero military hunter who comes to her rescue. Though the film was praised for its special effects, it -- wrongfully -- got hard knocks for its story line, which some reviewers just couldn't follow. Though convoluted, the Wachowskis have created a mythology worthy of a "Star Wars" or a "Guardians of the Galaxy" that plays out in a universe reminiscent of the old Flash Gordon serials. Ii isn't all that hard to understand -- the problem with the film is that the characters are so stereotypical and one-dimensional and the plot twists so predictable that one just coasts uninvolved through the two-hour running time.Vitals: Director: Lana and Andy Wachowski. Stars: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D'Arcy, Tim Pigott-Smith.
2015, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 127 min., Science Fiction, Box office gross: $39.662 million, Warner.
Extras: "Jupiter Jones: Destiny Is Within Us," "Jupiter Ascending: Genetically Spliced Caine Wise: Interplanetary Warrior." Blu-ray adds "The Wachowskis: Minds Over Matter," "Worlds Within Worlds Within Worlds," "Bullet Time Evolved," "From Earth to Jupiter (And Everywhere in Between)."
Focus
It's always a pleasure to watch Will Smith on the big screen, whether as a formidable hero figure ("Men in Black" and "I Am Legend") or as a bad boy ("Bad Boys") or as a dramatic father figure ("The Pursuit of Happyness"). His last few outings, unfortunately, have been mundane ("After Earth," "Seven Pounds"), and his role in "Focus" definitely won't go to the top of his acting resume. Smith almost sleepwalks through the film as Nicky, a seasoned con man who becomes romantically involved with a novice (Margot Robbie) while teaching her the tricks of the trade via several outlandish scams, including escalating bets with a compulsive gambler at a football game in New Orleans and a race car scam in Buenos Aires. There's no chemistry between the two leads, the scams are mundane and the final denouement is just too sophomoric to believe. It's "The Sting" meets "American Hustle" without any action, suspense, or real romance. Co-stars Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney and BD Wong. Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette, profiles of Smith and Robbie, and an alternate opening.
Vitals: Director: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa. Stars: Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Rodrigo Santoro, Gerald McRaney, BD Wong.
2015, CC, MPAA rating: R, 105 min., Drama, Box office gross: $52.877 million, Warner.
Extras: Deleted scenes. Blu-ray adds "Masters of Misdirection: The Players in a Con" featurette, "Will Smith: Gentleman Thief," "Margot Robbie: Stealing Hearts," alternate opening.
The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water
SpongeBob SquarePants, the world's favorite sea dwelling invertebrate, comes ashore for a super-heroic adventure. On a mission to save his world, SpongeBob SquarePants is headed to ours. When pirate Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) steals the secret recipe for the beloved Krabby Patties, SpongeBob and friends come ashore to bring back the missing formula. To succeed, they must team up with former rival, Plankton, but soon realize that to defeat a super-villain, they must unleash their inner superheroes. Vitals: Director: Paul Tibbitt. Stars: Voices of Tom Kenny, Antonio Banderas, Clancy Brown, Rodger Bumpass, Bill Fagerbakke, Carolyn Lawrence, Douglas Lawrence, Slash. 2015, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 93 min., Animated Family, Box office gross: $160.839 million, Paramount.
Blu-ray extras: "SpongeBob SquarePants: Out of His World," "When I Grow Up, I Want to Make Funny Sounds," "Becoming Burger Beard," "Making the Burger Mobile Chase Sequence," "It's Hip to Be SquarePants," "A Day in the Life of a Sponge," "Plankton Rules the World!," "Bikini Bottom Confidential: Rock Stars of the Sea," "International Sponge of Mystery" featurettes; "Bikini Bottom Boogie": "Thank Gosh It’s Monday," three SpongeBob Sing-Alongs: "Thank Gosh It's Monday," "Teamwork" and "Theme Song/Rap Battle," "Squeeze Me" Music Video by N.E.R.D.; deleted/extended/alternate/test scenes.
McFarland, USA
Inspired by the 1987 true story, the film follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California's farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner), a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school. Coach White and the McFarland students have a lot to learn about each other but when White starts to realize the boys' exceptional running ability, things begin to change. With grit and determination, the unlikely band of runners eventually overcomes the odds to forge not only a championship cross-country team but an enduring legacy as well. Along the way, Coach White realizes that his family finally found a place to call home and both he and his team achieve their own kind of American dream.
Vitals: Director: Niki Caro. Stars: Kevin Costner, Maria Bello, Morgan Saylor, Martha Higareda, Michael Aguero.
2015, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 129 min., Drama, Box office gross: $42.955 million, Disney.
Asylum
(2014) Stephen Rea, Bruce Payne, Caroline Ford. A veteran hostage negotiator's next call leads him to an overrun insane asylum where he discovers that dark forces are pushing the patients to commit atrocities, and he may be the only one that can stop them. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate).
The Dog Who Saved Summer
(2015) Dean Cain, Gary Valentine, Elisa Donovan, Patrick Muldoon, Joey "Coco" Diaz, Martin Kove, Mario Lopez as Zeus the Dog. Sixth film in the family franchise. When former police K-9 Zeus accidentally destroys an important party, the Bannister family decides it's time to send him to obedience school. Classes start off on the wrong paw when the no-nonsense instructor Vernon and his Marine K-9 assistant Apollo fail Zeus on every lesson. Fearing the pound may be his next stop, Zeus and the Bannister children enlist help from a janitor who teaches them his unique training methods that could help Zeus win Top Dog at the school's showcase. Meanwhile, a familiar trio of bumbling burglars is planning a daring diamond heist and Zeus must outsmart the thieves, as well as his hard-nosed instructor, in order to win the big tournament and foil the jewelry robbery before it's too late. Formats: DVD, VOD. (Anchor Bay).
The L Word: The Complete Series
(2004-09) Twenty-four disc set with all six seasons, $72.99. Dive into a woman's world when this collection arrives in a sleek new repackage on DVD. After Showtime made gay men the focus of its original series "Queer as Folk," the network created this series about a tight-knit group of lesbians in Los Angeles. The drama was far removed from its working-class male counterpart in both style and content: While the men of "QAF" enjoyed a fabulous if melodramatic life on the middle-class streets of Pittsburgh, the women of "The L Word" lived it up in sunny California, with gorgeous houses, glamorous careers, and sexy wardrobes. Filled with complex characters, some straight and some gay, "The L Word" aired for six seasons, creating both a loyal fan base and television history with its iconic portrayal of the lesbian community. The series stars an ensemble cast including Jennifer Beals, Leisha Hailey, Laurel Holloman, Pam Grier, Katherine Moennig and Mia Kirshner. Formats: DVD. Extras: "The L Word Documentary," "L Word Girls on the record," "Playing With the Girls: L Word Shorts," "L Word Generations," photo galleries, music videos, biographies, more. (Paramount).
Monsters: Dark Continent
(2014) Johnny Harris, Joe Dempsie, Sofia Boutella, Sam Keeley. Taking place 10 years after the events of its predecessor, this sequel is set against the backdrop of a world proliferated by "Infected Zones" where fearsome monsters lord over the regions and threaten humanity. This film follows four fresh army recruits as they embark on a life-altering mission in the Middle East, through the heart of monster territory to save a group of fellow soldiers. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette. (RADiUS/Anchor Bay).
Rectify: The Complete Second Season
(2014) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes, $29.98. Nineteen years ago, Daniel Holden was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of his teenage girlfriend, Hanna Dean. Thanks to newly discovered DNA evidence and the efforts of his sister Amantha and lawyer Jon Stern, Daniel's conviction has been vacated and he's returned to his mother Janet's home in Paulie, Georgia. But not everyone is convinced of his innocence nor is his future as a free man secure. Season Two finds Daniel committed to living in the present and making choices that prove frustrating for some of the Holden/Talbot family. Unfortunately, there are places and faces in Paulie that remind Daniel of the past: his incarceration, Hanna, and his role the night of Hanna's murder. He's forced to the realization that he must understand and accept what really happened if he's ever going to know any peace, a conclusion that shapes his determination to do whatever it takes to finally put his past behind him, no matter how high the price. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Making-of" featurette. (Anchor Bay).
Smiling Through the Apocalypse: Esquire in the 60s
(2013) Exploring the revolution in journalism sparked by the turbulence of the 1960s, "Smiling Through the Apocalypse: Esquire in the 60s" is the story of maverick editor Harold T.P. Hayes, who made Esquire magazine a galvanizing force in American culture. In this fascinating documentary, filmmaker Tom Hayes (Harold's son) paints a portrait of editorial genius using the voices and images of the iconic writers, photographers and artists who, with Hayes at the helm, brought Esquire to the vanguard of the cultural revolution. Encouraging unprecedented journalistic freedom, Hayes curated many of the most talented artists and writers of the time including Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Nora Ephron, Peter Bogdanovich, Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and George Lois, all of whom provide vivid recollections of those charmed years in the film. He also gave bylines to established literary giants, among them Dorothy Parker and W.H. Auden.
Formats: DVD. (First Run Features).
The Taking of Tiger Mountain
(2014 -- China) Director Tsui Hark's thrilling adaptation of Qu Bo's adventure novel stars Tony Leung Ka-fai as a ruthless bandit, ruling the lands of Northeast China from his fortress on Tiger Mountain. A captain of the Liberation Army (Lin Gengxin) launches a counter-insurgency against the dictator with a skilled investigator (Zhang Hanyu) sent to destroy the gang from the inside. Set in the late 1940s, the action unfolds with audiences immersed in spurting blood, flying bullets, airborne knives, falling rocks, cannon fire and a covert raid by skis. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: Cast and crew interviews, trailer. (Well Go USA).
The Wire: The Complete Series BLU-RAY
(2002-2008) Twenty-disc set with all 60 episodes remastered in 16x9 fullframe HD, $199.99. In the six years that have passed since the conclusion of the HBO series "The Wire," the critically acclaimed drama has turned into a worldwide phenomenon that has been hailed as "the best show in the history of television" by MSNBC. "The Wire" depicts an American urban dystopia, framed in our time, in which easy distinctions between good and evil and crime and punishment are challenged at every turn. In five successive seasons, the series depicts a Baltimore in which institutional prerogatives, economic inequalities and a brutalizing drug war confound the efforts to advance the city and its people. The series' first season lays out the futility of the drug war, while the second highlights the deindustrialization and the death of the working class. The third season introduces the city's political culture and lays out the forces that stand in the path of actual reform. The fourth season addresses the educational system and the actual opportunities that remain to coming generations. The fifth and final season examines the media culture and its role in perpetuating the status quo. Amid all of this, carefully drawn characters on both sides of the law and from a variety of Baltimore cultures move forward as best they can, human to a flaw, struggling against a system that seems weighted against civic progress. Extras: Four behind-the-scenes documentaries, 22 Audio Commentaries, three prequels that explore life before "The Wire," an all-new cast and crew Q&A from the Paley Center for Media's The Wire reunion event. (HBO).
May 31, 2015
(ISSN 1094-3676).
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