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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
July 25:
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword: Robbed of his birthright, Arthur comes up the hard way in the back alleys of the city. But once he pulls the sword from the stone, he is forced to acknowledge his true legacy - whether he likes it or not. (DVD, Blu-ray release: August 8)
July 27:
It Stains the Sand Red: A troubled woman from Las Vegas finds herself stranded in the desert with a lone ravenous zombie on her trail in this post-apocalypse thriller. (VOD only)
July 31:
Silicon Valley: The Complete Fourth Season: (DVD, Blu-ray release: September 12)
Billy Jack: The Complete Collection
All four groundbreaking, action-packed classics from ’70s pop culture icon Billy Jack featuring all of the fast-kicking, politically aware stories that had audiences cheering. "Born Losers" (1967), "Billy Jack" (1971), "Trial of Billy Jack" (1974) and "Billy Jack Goes to Washington" (1977). Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentary with Tom Laughlin, Delores Taylor and Frank Laughlin on all four films;, trailers; still galleries. (Shout! Factory Shout Select).
The Boss Baby
(2016) Voices of Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Tobey Maguire, Miles Bakshi. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo,, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: New mini adventure: "The Boss Baby and Tim’s Treasure Hunt Through Time," "The Forever Puppy Infomercial," "BabyCorp and You" featurette, "Babies vs. Puppies: Who Do YOU Love?" featurette, "The Boss Baby's Undercover Team," "Cookies Are for Closers: Inside BabyCorp" behind the scenes with director Tom McGrath, "The Great Sibling Competition." (Fox).
The Country Doctor
(2016 -- France) François Cluzet, Marianne Denicourt. Devoted and revered countryside doctor Jean-Pierre's life gets rocked by Nathalie, a middle-age woman who has come from the city hospital to earn her chops. Challenging each other with opposite views on medicine, the pair eventually bonds and learns from one another. When Jean-Pierre falls sick, Nathalie comes from the hospital to assist him. But will she manage to adapt to this new life and to replace the man who thought he was irreplaceable? Formats: DVD. (Icarus Films).
Ghost in the Shell
(2017) Scarlett Johansson, Michael Pitt, Juliette Binoche, Takeshi
Kitano, Michael Wincott, Pilou Asbaek, Rila Fukushima. In the near
future, Major Kusanagi (Scarlett Johansson) is the first of her kind:
A human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced to be a
perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world's most dangerous
criminals. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo,VOD, Digital,
UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Hard-Wired Humanity: Making Ghost in the Shell," "Section 9: Cyber Defenders," "Man & Machine: The Ghost Philosophy."
(Paramount).
I, Olga Hepnarov
(2016 -- Czech Republic) Michalina Olszanska, Martin Pechlát. Olga
Hepnarova was a young, lonely lesbian outsider from a coldhearted
family who couldn’t play the part society desired of her. Frequently
bullied and unable to connect with other people, her alienation
eventually drove her over the edge of humanity and madness when she
was only 22-years old -- in 1973 she drove a truck into a group of
innocent people in Prague. Formats: DVD. (Strand Releasing).
LEGO Scooby-Doo!: Blowout Beach Bash!
(2017) New supernatural crime mystery. Scooby-Doo! and his pals Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy are no strangers to solving spooky mysteries filled with all types of ghouls and goblins. This time is no different. As Scooby-Doo! and his friends are on their way to Blowout Beach for a real swinging beach party in the Mystery Machine, the Ghost Pirates threaten to ruin the gang’s good vibes. It is up to Scooby and the gang to get the party back on track, without missing a beat.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). (Warner).
Pretty Little Liars: The Seventh and Final Season
(2016-17) Four-disc set with all 20 episodes. In season six, the series leaped forward five years, when a shocking event brought the girls -- now young women -- together again, back in the town of Rosewood, to face a new threat. Now the girls band together to unearth answers to the last remaining secrets and take down “Uber A” for good.
Formats: DVD. Extras: “Pretty Little Liars: A-List Wrap Party," nine new featurettes, deleted scenes. (Warner).
Pretty Little Liars: The Complete Series
(2010-17) Thirty-six disc set, $209.99. Formats: DVD. (Warner).
Unforgettable
(2017) Katherine Heigl, Rosario Dawson, Geoff Stults, Cheryl Ladd,
Sarah Burns, Whitney Cummings, Simon Kassianides, Isabella Kai Rice,
Robert Ray Wisdom. A woman (Heigl) sets out to make life hell for her
ex-husband's new wife (Dawson). Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras:
Director's commentary. Blu-ray
adds "Reclaiming What's Yours: Making Unforgettable"
featurette, deleted scene.
(Warner).
Warlock Collection
Two-disc set with all three films about a 17th-century Warlock who is transported to the 20th century, where he looks to end all of creation: "Warlock" (1989), "Warlock: The Armageddon" (1993) and "Warlock III: The End of Innocence" (1999). Formats: Blu-ray Disc. Extras: New commentaries, new interviews, vintage featurettes, still galleries, TV spots, trailers. (Lionsgate/Vestron Video Collector’s Series).
Weekend in Havana
(2017) Travel with host Geoffrey Baer to explore the heart of Cuba’s
magical capital city, now open to Americans after more than 50 years.
Three young locals — architect and restorationist Daniel de la Regata;
Irene Rodriguez, one of Cuba’s top flamenco dancers; and
Grammy-nominated jazz pianist Roberto Fonseca — serve as enthusiastic
guides, allowing viewers to experience this vibrant and historic place
through the eyes of those who love it and call it home. Guided by his
new friends, Geoffrey witnesses the nightly firing of the cannon at
the fortress of San Carlos de la Cabana; visits Plaza de Armas, the
city’s first public square; rides in a 1950s-era red Chevrolet on a
journey through Havana’s breathtaking but sometimes crumbling
architecture; and meets an auto mechanic charged with keeping many of
Havana’s vintage automobiles in running order. Geoffrey also visits a
ruined sugar plantation where African slaves once toiled and takes
part in a present-day Santeria ritual in a private home. He also
imbibes at one of Ernest Hemingway’s favorite watering holes and boats
out to the small fishing village of Cojimar, the setting for The Old
Man and the Sea, and visits Hemingway’s home in San Francisco de
Paula. Lastly, he checks out the glitzy floorshow at the Tropicana
nightclub, and ends his journey at La Guarida’s rooftop piano bar,
perched atop a crumbling mansion. With Roberto’s band playing in the
background, he reflects on the new understanding he has gained of
Havana. Formats: DVD. (PBS Distribution).
Ghost in the Shell
The long-awaited big-screen live-action adaptation of the internationally acclaimed Japanese Manga “The Ghost in the Shell” was, unfortunately, not greater than the sum of its parts. Set in the mid-21st century in Japan, at a time when cyber-technology has advanced to the point that humans can augment their bodies with cybernetic parts and appendages -- blurring the line between humans and robots -- the story follows Major Killian (Scarlett Johansson), supposedly the first of her kind, a human saved from a terrible crash, who is cyber-enhanced (her brain is placed in a synthetic shell) to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous cyber-criminals. When terrorists hack into the minds of several scientists working for the world's foremost cyber company, and then kill them, Major is called upon to lead her Section 9 cyber security force to track down the villains. Along the way she discovers that she's been lied to: her life was not saved, it was stolen as part of a longtime set of experiments to create the perfect android. Now she'll stop at nothing to recover her past, find out who did this to her and stop them before they continue to do it to others. The technical aspects of "Ghost" is astounding, ratcheting up computer special effects to create a believable future world in which holographic ads dominate cityscapes (imagine "Blade Runner's Los Angeles times 10), people exist with various cyber-heightened strengths, and brain-hacking is the latest in computer crimes. The visuals and action sequences are, at times astounding. But, unfortunately, the acting and story leave much to be desired. In particular, character development takes a backseat to the demands of quick action and stereotypes, and the story plods along from one set piece to another. Scarlett Johansson is fairly low-key as Major Killian (she must be getting tired of playing super-spies, aliens, and super-charged humanoids by now), Juliette Binoche is way too staid as the Major's creator, and the great "Beat" Takeshi Kitano ("Battle Royale" and "Zatoichi") almost fades into the background. Still, the astounding visuals and action sequences are worth the price of admission. Just have microwave popcorn handy for the lulls. Vitals: Director: Rupert Sanders. Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Michael Pitt, Juliette Binoche, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Wincott, Pilou Asbaek, Rila Fukushima.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 107 min., Action, Box office gross: $40.563 million, Paramount.
Extras: "Hard-Wired Humanity: Making Ghost in the Shell," "Section 9: Cyber Defenders," "Man & Machine: The Ghost Philosophy."
The Boss Baby
Seven-year-old Tim Templeton suddenly finds his share of parental love plummeting when his new baby brother (Alec Baldwin) arrives -- wearing a suit and toting a briefcase -- and makes it clear to everyone that he’s in charge. But when Tim discovers that Boss Baby is on a secret mission, he reluctantly agrees to team up with his pint sized sibling for an epic adventure that might just change the world.
Vitals: Director: Tom McGrath. Stars: Voices of Alec Baldwin, Steve Buscemi, Jimmy Kimmel, Lisa Kudrow, Tobey Maguire, Miles Bakshi.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: PG, 97 min., Family Animated, Box office gross: $172.169 million, Fox.
Extras: New mini adventure: "The Boss Baby and Tim’s Treasure Hunt Through Time," "The Forever Puppy Infomercial," "BabyCorp and You" featurette, "Babies vs. Puppies: Who Do YOU Love?" featurette, "The Boss Baby's Undercover Team," "Cookies Are for Closers: Inside BabyCorp" behind the scenes with director Tom McGrath, "The Great Sibling Competition."
Gifted
Frank Adler (Chris Evans) is a single man raising a child prodigy -- his spirited young niece Mary (Mckenna Grace) -- in a coastal town in Florida. Frank's plans for a normal school life for Mary are foiled when the seven-year-old’s mathematical abilities come to the attention of Frank’s formidable mother Evelyn (Lindsay Duncan) whose plans for her granddaughter threaten to separate Frank and Mary.
Vitals: Director: Marc Webb. Stars: Chris Evans, McKenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan, Jenny Slate, Octavia Spencer, Julie Ann Emery.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 101 min., Drama, Box office gross: $24.282 million, Fox.
Extras: Deleted scenes, five feturettes, "On Location: Gifted," gallery.
Unforgettable
Tessa Connover (Katherine Heigl) is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Geoff Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Rosario Dawson) -- not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their
daughter, Lily. Trying to settle into her new life, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare.
Vitals: Director: Denise Di Novi. Stars: Katherine Heigl, Rosario Dawson, Geoff Stults, Cheryl Ladd, Sarah Burns, Whitney Cummings, Simon Kassianides, Isabella Kai Rice, Robert Ray Wisdom.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: R, 100 min., Drama, Box office gross: $11.374 million, Warner.
Extras: Director's commentary. Blu-ray adds "Reclaiming What's Yours: Making Unforgettable" featurette, deleted scene.
Snatched: When her boyfriend dumps her before their exotic vacation, a young woman persuades her ultra-cautious mother to travel with her to paradise, with unexpected results. (DVD, Blu-ray release: August 8)
Black Butterfly
(2017) Antonio Banderas, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Piper Perabo, Abel Ferrara. Outside a mountain town grappling with a series of abductions and murders, Paul (Banderas), a reclusive writer, struggles to start what he hopes will be a career-saving screenplay. After a tense encounter at a diner with a drifter named Jack (Rhys Meyers), Paul offers Jack a place to stay -- and soon the edgy, demanding Jack muscles his way into Paul's work. As a storm cuts off power to the isolated cabin, the two men begin a jagged game of one-upmanship that will bring at least one tale to an end. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Audio commentary with director Brian Goodman and co-writer Marc Frydman, "Black Butterfly: Backstage" featurette. (Lionsgate).
The Final Master
(2015 -- China) Liao Fan, Jiang Wenli, Chin Shi-Chieh, Song Jia, Song Yang. In 1930s China, unrest rules the nation. Chen, the last Wing Chun master, arrives in Tianjin to expand his kung fu -- but his ambition gets him entangled in a power struggle between Tianjin’s martial arts Grandmaster, a dominant underworld Madam, and the town’s military leaders. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: "The Weapons" featurette, director Haofeng Xu featurette. (Well Go USA).
Girls Season 6
(2017) In the sixth and final season of "Girls," HBO's hit comedy
continues to follow the assorted humiliations and triumphs of a group
of 20-something friends in NYC. Season 6 picks up six months after the
end of Season 5, with Hannah (series creator Lena Dunham), enjoying
new success as a writer while her roommate and bestie Elijah (Andrew
Rannells) considers getting serious about his acting career. Marnie
(Allison Williams), now in a relationship with Ray (Alex Karpovsky),
seeks to maintain her independence post-divorce from Desi (Ebon
Moss-Bachrach). Now also a couple, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) and Adam (Adam
Driver) decide to embark on a creative project to channel their
passions, which could become a source of contention. And Shoshanna
(Zosia Mamet) finds herself professionally on the right path, though
personally she realizes that her friendships may be holding her back.
A time for closing chapters and new beginnings, the four familiar
friends attempt to get closer to becoming the women they always
envisioned -- even as life sometimes gets in the way. Two-dic set with all 10 episodes.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: Extended version of "A Goodbye
to Girls" featuring never-before-seen behind-the-scenes footage,
"Inside the Episodes" featurettes, more. (HBO).
Lost in America
(1985) In this hysterical satire of Reagan-era values, written and directed by Albert Brooks, a successful Los Angeles advertising executive (Brooks) and his wife (Julie Hagerty) decide to quit their jobs, buy a Winnebago, and follow their Easy Rider fantasies of freedom and the open road. When a stop in Las Vegas nearly derails their plans, they’re forced to come to terms with their own limitations and those of the American dream. Brooks’s barbed wit and confident direction drive "Lost in America," an iconic example of his restless movies about insecure characters searching for satisfaction in the modern world that established his unique comic voice and transformed the art of observational humor. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, with a new 2K digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras: New conversation with director Albert Brooks and filmmaker Robert Weide; new interviews with actor Julie Hagerty, executive producer Herb Nanas, and comic writer and director James L. Brooks; trailer; an essay by critic Scott Tobias.
(The Criterion Collection).
Psychoanalysis
(2015) Benedict Wall, Ryan O'Kane. When a psychologist loses five clients to suicide in a one week period he becomes obsessed with the idea that they were murdered by a rival psych and he hires a documentary film crew to investigate. It soon becomes clear, however, that the second shrink has no ulterior motives but, attuned to good drama, the documentary crew pushes the men to grow the rivalry. Unfortunately, their quest for a better story comes at the cost of their subject's sanity. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Candy Factory Films).
© 1996 -- 2017 OnVideo. All rights reserved
July 23, 2017
(ISSN 1094-3676).
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