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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
June 27:
Correspondence: A story of forbidden love that finds an aging astrophysics professor in a six-year affair with Amy, a beautiful PhD student. Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore ("Cinema Paradiso"). (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & Date)
June 30:
Their Finest: A former secretary, newly appointed as a scriptwriter for propaganda films, joins the cast and crew of a major production while the Blitz rages around them. (DVD, Blu-ray release: July 11)
Absolutely Anything
(2015) Simon Pegg, Kate Beckinsale, Eddie Izzard, voice of Robin Williams (his last role). Sci-fi comedy has an ordinary schoolteacher granted extraordinary powers by a group of mischievous space aliens (voiced by the legendary Monty Python team) as a test of mankind’s worthiness. Little does he know that the fate of our planet hangs in the balance as he struggles to control the chaos he creates with every wave of his hand. His loyal canine companion is voiced by Williams. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Fox).
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
(2017) Emile Hirsch, Brian Cox, Ophelia Lovibond, Michael McElhatton.
It’s just another night at the morgue for a father (Brian Cox) and son
(Emile Hirsch) team of coroners, until an unidentified, highly unusual
corpse comes in. Discovered buried in the basement of the home of a
brutally murdered family, the young Jane Doe—eerily well preserved and
with no visible signs of trauma—is shrouded in mystery. As they work
into the night to piece together the cause of her death, the two men
begin to uncover the disturbing secrets of her life. Soon, a series of
terrifying events make it clear: this Jane Doe may not be dead.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo. (IFC Films).
Bunnicula: Season 1 Part 1
(2016) Two-disc set with 20 episodes of the series that brings to life the vampire rabbit from the best-selling children’s book series. The series follows the paranormal comedy adventures of Bunnicula, the vampire rabbit. Bunnicula has an insatiable appetite for fresh vegetable juice, which boosts his paranormal powers. Upon moving to the mysterious Orlock Apartment building in New Orleans, 13-year-old Mina discovers Bunnicula locked away in a chamber way down in the basement. Mina falls instantly in love with Bunnicula, and adopts him as a pet, not knowing he has supernatural abilities.
Formats: DVD, Digital.
(Warner).
Caïn: Season 1 and Cain Season Season 2
In this darkly comic French crime series, wheelchair-bound police captain Fred Caïn is quicker and more mobile than most able-bodied people. In his investigations, he spins circles around suspects and digs deep inside the darkest hidden corners of the human mind. A motorcycle accident caused by speeding and his own use of narcotics has left him unable to walk, but clear-eyed about criminality and motive. He’s left the drugs behind but a dark sense of humor remains, and his disdain for "bipeds" can make him difficult to work with. He uses his disability to his advantage by breaking with convention and the law without an ounce of shame or trepidation. Only army veteran Lucie Delambre can handle him as a partner, and his friend and boss Jacques Moretti runs interference for him with the higher-ups. Set in Marseille, Caïn is a crime drama with a twist, a police procedural that focuses on psychology and the human being behind the criminal. Each three-disc set -- "Caïn: Season 1" (2012) and "Cain: Season 2" (2014) contain eight episodes. Formats: DVD. (MHz on DVD).
CHIPS
(2017) Dax Shepard, Michael Peña, Rosa Salazar, Adam Brody, Kristen
Bell, Vincent D’Onofrio. A rookie officer is teamed with a hardened
pro at the California Highway Patrol, though the newbie soon learns
his partner is really an undercover Fed investigating a heist that may
involved some crooked cops. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "This Is Not Your Dad’s CHIPS" featurette. Blu-ray adds "Practical Pursuit" featurette, "Ducati: The Perfect Bike" featurette, director’s commentary, deleted scenes. (Warner).
Correspondence
(2016) Jeremy Irons, Olga Kurylenko. A story of forbidden love that finds an aging astrophysics professor in a six-year affair with Amy, a beautiful PhD student. But after the professor abruptly ends their romantic trysts, Amy continues to receive his intimate gifts and messages, which leads her to question his disappearance ... and come to terms with her own past. Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore ("Cinema Paradiso"). Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Fox).
Detective Montalbano: Episodes 28 & 29
(2017) The latest installments in the long-running Italian TV series, "Detective Montalbano": A Nest of Vipers" and "According to Protocal." Based on the blockbuster crime novels by Andrea Camilleri, the episodes depict life in the fictional Sicilian town of Vigata -- where the pace of life is slower, there’s few cars and home cooking abounds. Detective Montalbano (Luca Zingaretti) heads the police department, solving crimes with his always loyal and sometimes effective police squad who find themselves crossing paths with housewives and fisherman, priests and liars, saints and Mafia dons. Formats: DVD. (MHz on DVD).
Grey Lady
(2016) Eric Dane, Natalie Zea, Adrian Lester, Carolyn Stotesbery, Chris Meyer, Rebecca Gayheart, Amy Madigan. Following a clue given to him by his murdered partner and lover, detective James Doyle must travel to Nantucket to track down a serial killer before he becomes the next victim. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Anchor Bay Entertainment/Lionsgate).
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog
(1927) With his third feature film, "The Lodger: A Story of the London
Fog," Alfred Hitchcock took a major step toward greatness and made
what he would come to consider his true directorial debut. This
haunting silent thriller tells the tale of a mysterious young man
(matinee idol Ivor Novello) who takes up residence at a London
boardinghouse, just as a killer who preys on blonde women, known as
the Avenger, descends upon the city. The film is animated by the
palpable energy of a young stylist at play, decisively establishing
the director’s formal and thematic obsessions. In this edition, "The
Lodger" is accompanied by "Downhill," another 1927 silent exploration
of Hitchcock’s “wrong man” trope, also headlined by Novello -- making
for a double feature that reveals the great master of the macabre as
he was just coming into his own. 2K digital restoration, with a new
score by composer Neil Brand, performed by the Orchestra of Saint
Paul’s.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: "Downhill, director Alfred
Hitchcock’s 1927 feature film starring Ivor Novello, in a 2K digital
restoration with a new piano score by Brand; new interview with film
scholar William Rothman on Hitchcock’s visual signatures; new video
essay by art historian Steven Jacobs about Hitchcock’s use of
architecture; excerpts from audio interviews with Hitchcock by
filmmakers François Truffaut (1962) and Peter Bogdanovich (1963);
radio adaptation of "The Lodger" from 1940, directed by Hitchcock; new
interview with Brand on composing for silent film; essays on "The
Lodger"and "Downhill" by critic Philip Kemp.
(The Criterion Collection).
Midsomer Murders, Series 19, Part 1
(2017) Two-disc set with four episodes in which the capable Detective Chief Inspector John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) investigates the cozy villages of Midsomer’s most sinister secrets:
"The Village That Rose from the Dead," "Crime and Punishment," "Last Man Out" and "Red in Tooth & Claw." Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurettes. (Acorn Media).
Money
(2016) Jamie Bamber, Kellan Lutz, Jesse Williams, Jess Weixler, Lucía Guerrero. Two pharmaceutical executives are about to get away with stealing $5 million after selling trade secrets to the highest bidder. But a charismatic con artist shows up to derail their plans and holds them hostage at gunpoint during an all-night standoff where loyalties are tested and true motives revealed. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: "Money: Behind the Scenes." (Fox).
Extras:
Disc 1: The Pink Panther
Disc 2: A Shot In The Dark
Disc 3: The Return Of The Pink Panther
Disc 4: The Pink Panther Strikes Again
Disc 5: Revenge Of The Pink Panther
Disc 6: Trail Of The Pink Panther
The Strain: The Complete Third Season
(2016) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes. The war between the bloodthirsty strigoi and the remaining human survivors of New York intensifies. Although Dr. Ephraim Goodweather’s bioweapon initially helped stave off the vampiric creatures, they have evolved into a bigger threat to humanity than ever. Now, distraught over his kidnapped son, Eph teams with Dutch to search for signs of weakness in the strigoi. Meanwhile, Abraham Setrakian’s discovery of a mysterious shipment from Egypt brings a shocking realization. Formats: DVD. Extras: "Under Siege Companion Series Intro with Carlton Cuse," "The Strain: Under Siege -- Companion Series," "Vamp Boom music video, deleted scenes, gag reel. (Fox).
Straw Dogs
(1971) In this thriller, arguably Sam Peckinpah’s most controversial
film, David (Dustin Hoffman), a young American mathematician, moves
with his English wife, Amy (Susan George), to the village where she
grew up. Their sense of safety unravels as the local men David has
hired to repair their house prove more interested in leering at Amy
and intimidating David, beginning an agonizing initiation into the
iron laws of violent masculinity that govern Peckinpah’s world.
Working outside the U.S. for the first time, the filmmaker airlifts
the ruthlessness of the Western frontier into Cornwall in "Straw
Dogs," pushing his characters to their breaking points as the men
brutalize Amy and David discovers how far he’ll go to protect his home
-- culminating in a harrowing climax that lays out this cinematic
mastermind’s eloquent and bloody vision of humanity. New, restored 4K
digital transfer, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the
Blu-ray.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Audio commentary from 2003 by
Stephen Prince, author of "Savage Cinema: Sam Peckinpah and the Rise
of Ultraviolent Movies"; "Mantrap: 'Straw Dogs' --The Final Cut," a
2003 documentary about the making of the film, featuring cast and
crew; "Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron," a 1993 documentary about the
director featuring actors Kris Kristofferson, Jason Robards, Ali
MacGraw, and many others; new conversation between film critic Michael
Sragow and filmmaker Roger Spottiswoode, who worked as one of the
editors on the film; new interview with film scholar Linda Williams
about the controversies surrounding the film; archival interviews with
actor Susan George, producer Daniel Melnick, and Peckinpah biographer
Garner Simmons; behind-the-scenes footage; TV spots and trailers; an
essay by scholar and critic Joshua Clover.
(The Criterion Collection).
Striking Out
(2017) Two-disc set with four episodes. When Dublin-based solicitor Tara Rafferty (Amy Huberman) discovers that her fiancé and fellow solicitor, Eric (Rory Keenan), has been cheating on her with a colleague, she breaks up with him, quits her job at the prestigious law firm where they worked together, and begins accepting clients out of a makeshift office in the back of a café. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Interviews with the cast and crew, behind-the-scenes photo gallery. (Acorn Media).
T2: Trainspotting
(2017) Dir.: Danny Boyle; Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee
Miller, Kelly Macdonald, Shirley Henderson, Ewen Bremner.After 20
years abroad, Mark Renton returns to Scotland and reunites with his
old friends Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Deleted scenes, “20 Years in the Making: A Conversation With Danny Boyle and the Cast” featurette, commentary with Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge. (Sony).
The Unholy
(1988) Ben Cross, Ned Beatty, William Russ, Jill Carroll, Hal Holbrook, Trevor Howard. In New Orleans, a city with a dark underside of black magic and satanic worship, two priests have been brutally murdered at St Agnes Church. The diocese calls in Father Michael (Cross) to fight the powerful demon -- disguised as a stunningly beautiful woman -- who seduces men and kills them in the act of sinning. Formats: Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary with director Camilo Vila; isolated score selections and audio interview with composer Roger Bellon; audio interview with production designer & co-writer Fernando Fonseca, featuring isolated selections from his unused score; original ending featuring optional audio commentary with producer Mathew Hayden; featurettes: “Sins of the Father with Ben Cross,” “Demons In The Flesh: The Monsters of The Unholy” and “Prayer Offerings with production designer & co-writer Fernando Fonseca”; theatrical trailer; TV Spots; radio spots; original storyboard gallery; still gallery. (Lionsgate/Vestron Video Collector’s Series).
Yu-Gi-Oh!: The Dark Side of Dimensions
(2017) The film celebrates the 20th anniversary of the global phenomenon, which remains one of the top trading-card games in the world. In this installment, Yugi Muto and his friends reunite to battle their enemies in a fight that transcends time and space. Features new designs and an all-new story from the original creator, Kazuki Takahashi. Includes an exclusive collectible trading card. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: “Show Us Your Cards” featurette, “Dan Interview” featurette, “Eric Interview” featurette, “Cast’s Favorite Moments” featurette. (Lionsgate).
Power Rangers
Saban's "Power Rangers" follows five ordinary teens who must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove -- and the world -- is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, they stumble upon an old alien ship, where they acquire superpowers and must harness their abilities in
order to save the world. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.
Vitals: Director: Dean Israelite. Stars: Elizabeth Banks, Bryan Cranston, Sarah Grey, Naomi Scott, David Denman, Dacre Montgomery, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin, Becky G.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 124 min., Action, Box office gross: $84.250 million, Lionsgate.
Extras: Audio commentary with director Dean Israelite and writer John Gatins, deleted/alternate/extended scenes, outtakes. Blu-ray adds nine-part "The Power of the Present" documentary (“Rangers Then to Now,” “Building the Team,” “Beyond the Rangers,” “Suiting Up,” “Rangers, Welcome to Training,” “Rangers in the Wild,” “It’s Morphin Time,” “Power Ballad: Music and Sound” and “This is Your Destiny”), theatrical trailer.
CHIPS
Jon Baker (Dax Shepard) and Frank Ponch Poncherello (Michael Peña) have just joined the California Highway Patrol (CHP) in Los Angeles, but for very different reasons. Baker is a beaten-up former pro motorbiker trying to put his life and marriage back together. Poncherello is a cocky undercover Federal agent investigating a multi-million dollar heist that may be an inside job-inside the CHP. The inexperienced rookie and the hardened pro are teamed together, but clash more than click, so kick-starting a real partnership is easier said than done. But with Baker's unique bike skills and Ponch's street savvy it might just work ... if they don't drive each other crazy first.
Vitals: Director: Dax Shepard. Stars: Dax Shepard, Michael Peña, Rosa Salazar, Adam Brody, Kristen Bell, Vincent D’Onofrio.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Action Comedy, Box office gross: $18.360
million, Warner.
Extras: "This Is Not Your Dad’s CHIPS" featurette. Blu-ray adds "Practical Pursuit" featurette, "Ducati: The Perfect Bike" featurette, director’s commentary, deleted scenes.
T2: Trainspotting
Twenty years have gone by since the original "Trainspotting." Much has changed but just as much remains the same. Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) returns to the only place he can ever call home. And they're waiting for him: Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), and Begbie (Robert Carlyle). Other old friends are waiting too: sorrow, loss, joy, vengeance, hatred, friendship, love, longing, fear, regret, diamorphine, self-destruction and mortal danger, they are all lined up to welcome him, ready to join the dance.
Vitals: Director: Danny Boyle. Stars: Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Jonny Lee Miller, Kelly Macdonald, Shirley Henderson, Ewen Bremner.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: R, 118 min., Drama, Box office gross: $2.335 million, Sony.
Extras: Deleted scenes, “20 Years in the Making: A Conversation With Danny Boyle and the Cast” featurette, commentary with Boyle and screenwriter John Hodge.
The Fate of the Furious: When a mysterious woman named the Cipher seduces Dom into the world of terrorism and a betrayal of those closest to him, the crew face trials that will test them as never before. Includes director's extended cut (on Digital versions only). (DVD, Blu-ray release: July 11)
First Run Features: a documentary on jazz giant Vince Giordano and a documentary on "The Penguins Counters" (DVD: July 11)
Song to Song: Love, obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas. The latest from Terrence Malick. (DVD, Blu-ray release: July 3)
Dirty Dancing
(2016) Abigail Breslin, Colt Prattes, Debra Messing, Bruce Greenwood, Sarah Hyland, Nicole Scherzinger, Katey Sagal. A reimagining of the beloved 1987 hit film and global pop-culture phenomenon. This three-hour ABC original movie event features the story from the original film told from a fresh perspective. Spending the summer at a Catskills resort with her family, Frances “Baby” Houseman falls in love with the camp’s dance instructor, Johnny Castle, and nothing is ever the same for anyone in the Houseman family. Modernized, updated versions of memorable, favorite songs including “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” “Love Man,” “Do You Love Me,” “Hungry Eyes,” and “She’s Like the Wind” are teamed with well-known songs new to the world of Dirty Dancing (such as “Fever” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me”), woven into the story. Discover what happens to Baby and Johnny after that summer, and learn more about the supporting characters from the original film.
Formats: DVD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Dirty Dancing: The Legacy Lives On" featurette, "Dirty Dancing: Don’t Step on the 1, Start on the 2" featurette. (Lionsgate).
Life of Significant Soil
(2016) A couple is forced to relive the same day in their relationship in an intriguing sci-fi love story. Named after the last line in T.S. Eliot's poem "The Dry Salvages," the film is a cross between "The Lobster" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind." An intimate look at the anatomy of a relationship, "Life of Significant Soil" follows Conor (Alexis Mouyiari) and Addison (Charlotte Bydwell), as they trudge through their failing union. Upon realizing they're inexorably trapped, they begin working together in an attempt to escape what seems like their last, animosity-filled day together. What they soon come to realize is that they've gone through the exact same process again and again: from animosity to delusion, delusion to love and back again. And as they exist in this painful microcosm, reliving the entire arc of their relationship in a smaller cycle, they can't help but feel like the monotony is permanent. But, something has to give. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Candy Factory Films).
The Pink Panther Film Collection Blu-ray Set
New, long-awaited complete collection of the classic movie comedies, many of which have been out of print for years. The legendary Peter Sellers stars as the irrepressible and incompetent Inspector Jacques Clouseau in this six-film collection, which consists of "The Pink Panther" (1964), "A Shot in the Dark" (1964), "The Return of the Pink Panther" (1975), "The Pink Panther Strikes Again" (1976), "Revenge of the Pink Panther" (1978), and "Trail of the Pink Panther" (1982), each directed by Academy Award-winner Blake Edwards ("Victor/Victoria," "Breakfast at Tiffany’s"). For the first time in any home entertainment issue, all six Clouseau comedies are available together in a single collection, with four making their debuts on Blu-ray, including "A Shot in the Dark" and "The Pink Panther Strikes Again," both presented in new 4K scans of the interpositives. Includes a 24-page book with an essay by animation historian and film critic Jerry Beck. Formats: Blu-ray Disc.
Running on Empty BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1988) River Phoenix rose to stardom (and a nomination) in this poignant drama from director Sidney Lumet. Ex-radicals Judd Hirsch and Christine Lahti have raised their family in hiding, constantly moving and changing aliases to flee facing charges from an inadvertent crime they committed as war protestors 15 years earlier. As their eldest son (Phoenix) comes of age, he is torn between running with his beloved fugitive parents, or developing his musical talents and pursuing his own life, which includes a new girlfriend (Martha Plimpton). The chemistry on display between the two young stars still burns the screen decades later. (Warner).
Trespass BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1992) Bill Paxton, William Sadler, Ice-T, Ice Cube. In the rubble of a four-alarm blaze, two Arkansas firemen (Paxton and Sadler) discover a map leading to a fortune in stolen gold hidden in an abandoned East St. Louis tenement. What they don't know is the building is headquarters to a vicious mob, led by the notorious King James (Ice-T) and Savon (Ice Cube). When the firefighters accidentally witness the mob executing some of
their enemies, they become the gang's next targets. Extras: New "Fool's Gold" interview with actor William Sadler, new "Born Losers" interview with co-writer Bob Gale, new "Wrongful Entry" interview with producer Neil Canton, new "Gang Violation" stunts featurette, new "Trigger Happy" weapons featurette, vintage featurette: "Behind the Scenes of Trespass," music video, deleted scenes, theatrical trailer. (Shout! Factory Shout Select).
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June 26, 2017
(ISSN 1094-3676).
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