Join the
Sixties generation
DVD
Blu-ray Releases
OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
August 29:
Beatriz at Dinner: Provocative and sharply hilarious film about characters from vastly different sociopolitical backgrounds colliding over dinner. (DVD: September 12)
Batman and Harley Quinn
(2017) New animated DC Universe Original Movie, from an original story
by animation icon Bruce Timm. Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue (a.k.a.
The Floronic Man) embark on an ecological quest to save the planet –
and, unfortunately, eliminate most of humankind along the way. To save
humanity, Batman and Nightwing are forced to enlist Harley Quinn to
catch Poison Ivy, Harley’s BFF and frequent partner-in-crime. But
Batman’s patience is put to the test by the unpredictable and
untrustworthy Harley during the twists and turns the reluctant
companions face during their bumpy road trip.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Blu-ray Deluxe Giftset with an
exclusive Harley Quinn figurine, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, VOD,
Digital,
UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "A Sneak Peek at the next DC
Universe Original Movie." Blu-ray
adds "The Harley Effect" featurette, "Loren Lester: In
His Own Voice" featurette, "From the DC Vault – Batman: The Animated
Series – 'Harley and Ivy' and 'Harley’s Holiday.' (Warner).
Baywatch
(2017) Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra, Zac Efron, Pamela Anderson, Angelique Kenney, Charlotte McKinney. Devoted lifeguard Mitch Buchannon (Johnson) butts heads with a brash new recruit (Efron), as they uncover a criminal plot that threatens the future of the bay. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, Ultra 4K HD/Blu-ray/ Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Blu-ray extras: Extended and theatrical versions of the film, "Meet the Lifeguards: Continuing the Legacy," stunts & training, deleted & extended scenes. (Paramount).
Dean
(2016) Demetri Martin, Kevin Kline, Gillian Jacobs, Rory Scovel, Ginger Gonzaga, Reid Scott, Mary Steenburgen. Writer-director Martin stars alongside Kline in this comedic and heartfelt film about a father and son coming to terms with love, loss, and everything in between. Following a life-shaking event, Dean (Martin), a New York illustrator, hops a transcontinental flight hoping to figure out his increasingly crazy world. While in Los Angeles, Dean unexpectedly discovers romance, hope, inspiration, and the importance of family. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. Extras: “This Is a Movie: Making Dean” featurette, “Drawing on Film: Stories About Dean” featurette, Dean: Q&A with Demetri Martin and Rory Scovel. (Lionsgate).
Delicious, Series 1
(2016-17) Single-disc with four episodes of the visually appealing and appetizing new British drama series. Professional chef Leo Vincent has everything he ever wanted: a prosperous hotel business, a beautiful family, and an amiable relationship with his ex-wife, Gina, to whom he owes much of his success -- he stole most of his recipes from her. But when Leo’s glamorous current wife, Sam, starts to suspect that he's having an affair, she asks Gina for advice, suspecting that Gina would recognize the signs of infidelity -- as Leo had cheated before, with Sam. But none of them could anticipate the disastrous chain of events that follows, revealing unsavory secrets and juicy scandals.
Formats: DVD. Extras: Behind-the-scenes featurette, behind-the-scenes photo gallery. (Acorn Media).
Gotham: The Complete Third Season
(2016-17) Four-disc Blu-ray, six-disc DVD set with all 20 episodes and
the two-hour finale. The fight for order and control in Gotham is
deadlier than ever with the introduction of cunning, new
super-villains. With the Indian Hill fugitives on the loose, Jim
Gordon takes matters into his own hands as a bounty hunter. While
Gordon plays bounty hunter, Gotham City Police Department’s Bullock
and Barnes remain on the frontline in Gotham, fighting against crime
and destruction in the monster-ridden city. The city seems to be
descending further and further into chaos and darkness as Penguin,
Edward Nygma/The Riddler and more are joined by the future Poison Ivy,
now transformed into a young woman who’s harnessed the full power of
her charms, and Jervis Tetch aka Mad Hatter, a talented hypnotist
teetering on the edge of madness. All the while, a young Bruce Wayne
discovers that there are still more secrets behind his parents’ murder
as he peels back the curtain on the infamous criminal organization
known as the Court of Owls.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: Gotham: 2016 Comic-Con Panel,
"Madness Rising: the New Villains of Gotham," "The Dark Within the
Dark: The Court of Owls," "Ben McKenzie Directorial Debut," deleted
scenes. (Warner).
Heal the Living
(2016 -- France) Emmanuelle Seigner, Tahar Rahim, Anne Dorval, Gabin Verdet. A single devastating event intertwines inextricably the lives of a French teenager, on a surfing road trip with his friends that leads to tragedy; a weary woman with a critical degenerative heart condition; and two teams of doctors and medical experts who struggle through their day-to-day attempts to save lives: all perfect strangers, perfectly interconnected. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras:Interview with director Katell Quillévéré. (Cohen Media Group).
Inconceivable
(2017) Gina Gershon, Faye Dunaway, Nicolas Cage, Nicky Whelan, Natalie
Eva Marie. A family befriends a struggling woman and invites her into
their home to be their nanny, and -- eventually -- their surrogate
mother. But soon, strange behavior begins to surface and they realize
that things are not what they seem, and that the woman they’ve
entrusted their lives to may have other intentions.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud).
Extras: Commentary with
filmmaker Jonathan Baker, “Behind the Scenes of Inconceivable”
featurette, deleted scene, cast/crew interviews
(Lionsgate).
The King of Horror Collection
Four Stephen King films: "It," "The Shining," "Cat's Eye" and Salem's Lot."
Formats: Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Commentaries, featurettes.
(Warner).
The Lion King
(1994) Out of the Disney vault at last. One of the biggest animated films in history joins the Walt Disney Signature Collection. The coming-of-age masterpiece, filled with humor and heart, breathtaking animation and soul-stirring Academy Award–winning music (1994: Best Original Score and Best Original Song, “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”),
My Cousin Rachel
(2017) Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Iain Glen, Holliday Grainger. Believing his mysterious, beautiful cousin Rachel (Weisz) murdered the man who raised him, Philip (Claflin), a young Englishman, plots revenge against her. But, despite evidence that Rachel might be a killer, Philip finds himself falling deeply in love with her in this visually stunning, tension-laced film. Based on Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: Deleted scenes, promotional featurettes, VFX progressions, scoring sessions, audio commentary with director Roger Michell, Gallery. (Fox).
The Originals: The Complete Fourth Season
(2017) Three-disc set with all 13 episodes. Season four begins on the fifth anniversary of the Mikaelson family’s
greatest defeat. Although Marcel Gerard has ushered in a new era of
peace in the French Quarter, an army of unsired vampires has arrived
seeking to bargain for the life of Marcel’s infamous captive, the
Original hybrid, Klaus. Meanwhile, the other Mikaelson siblings remain
in an enchanted sleep Freya designed to keep them safe, buying Hayley
time to find a cure for them – while also protecting her daughter,
Hope. After a daring rescue, the Mikaelsons are reunited, only to find
themselves faced with an even bigger threat: the revival of an ancient
evil that has strong ties to their most vulnerable family member.
Following a devastating attack by this nightmarish entity, the
Mikaelsons discover there is only one way to save themselves – they
must stand their ground in New Orleans and forge an alliance with
their former friends.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: The Originals: 2016 Comic-Con
Panel. deleted scenes, gag reel.
(Warner).
Peanuts by Schulz: School Days
(2017) All-new collection that features school-themed cartoons from
the newly launched Peanuts cable television series. Two-disc set with
19 episodes. Grab your books and join study buddies Charlie Brown,
Snoopy and the entire Peanuts gang for a new school year.
Formats: DVD. (Warner).
Sesame Street: Trick or Treat on Sesame Street
(2017) The first new Halloween release from Sesame Street in 10 years.
Includes thirteen minutes of brand new animated content, an extra
episode ("Sesame Street Dress Up Club") and a bonus themed digital
storybook to download ("Which Witch is Which?"). Elmo couldn’t be more
excited about Halloween and his home made Galactic Stan costume, but
his feelings take a turn when he gets jealous of another boy’s fancy
store-bought costume. Thanks to Alan and Abby, and some witchful
thinking, Elmo realizes that he doesn’t need anything special, he just
needs to use his imagination. Formats: DVD. (Warner).
Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Three
(2016-17) Single-disc with all 22 animated episodes. A brave and clever ragtag starship crew stands up against the evil Empire as it tightens its grip on the galaxy and hunts down the last of the Jedi Knights. The story threads begin to tighten in this season, drawing connections to "The Clone Wars," "Rogue One" and the original "Star Wars" trilogy into the series' epic storyline. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. (Disney).
Women Who Kill
(2016) Commitment phobic Morgan (director Ingrid Jungermann) and her ex-girlfriend Jean (Ann Carr) are locally famous true crime podcasters obsessed with female serial killers. There's a chance they may still have feelings for each other, but co-dependence takes a back seat when Morgan meets the mysterious Simone (Sheila Vand) during her Food Coop shift. Blinded by infatuation, Morgan quickly signs up for the relationship, ignoring warnings from friends that her new love interest is practically a stranger. But as she and Simone move into commitment territory, Morgan starts to notice red flags -- maybe Jean was right and Simone isn't as perfect as Morgan's made her out to be. Morgan and Jean investigate Simone as if she were a subject of their podcast, they uncover disturbing clues -- a death at the Food Coop, a missing friend, a murder weapon -- leading them to suspect her not only of mystery, but of murder. In the end, Morgan has to examine all the evidence in front of her: Is she just afraid of what it means to be in a relationship or is her life actually in danger? Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD. (FilmRise).
Baywatch
This big screen redo of the 1980s TV series takes itself so seriously (despite references to the TV show and some attempts at campy humor) that it's hard to watch without feeling embarrassed for all concerned -- particularly Dwayne Johnson, who deserves much better. It's all babes and bods and little else -- oh yeah, there's dual plotlines about former Olympic swimmer new recruit Matt Brody (Zac Efron) who wants to join the elite team of Baywatch lifeguards (led by Johnson) and a ruthless business woman involved in seaside drugs and murder. The rest is gross, silly and Johnson's pop-pout chest tattoo. The movie garners a 16 percent at Rotten Tomatoes and a 37 at Metacritic. Watch for TV "Baywatch's" Pamela Anderson in a guest shot at the end of the movie. Vitals: Director: Seth Gordon. Stars: Dwayne Johnson, Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra, Zac Efron, Pamela Anderson, Angelique Kenney, Charlotte McKinney.
2017, CC, MPAA rating: R, 116 min., Action, Box office gross: $58.047
million, Paramount.
Blu-ray extras: Extended and theatrical versions of the film, "Meet the Lifeguards: Continuing the Legacy," stunts & training, deleted & extended scenes.
Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack: The "Bring it On" franchise goes global, featuring 19 squads from around the globe, including teams from Australia, U.K., Germany and France, in addition to the Northern Elite Gymnastics and Cheer team from the United States. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & Date)
Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie: (DVD, Blu-ray release: September 12)
My Cousin Rachel: Believing his mysterious, beautiful cousin Rachel murdered the man who raised him, Philip, a young Englishman, plots revenge against her. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & Date)
Wonder Woman: Before she was Wonder Woman, she was Diana, princess of the Amazons, trained warrior. When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, she leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny. (DVD, Blu-ray release: September 19)
Black Sails: The Complete Fourth Season
(2017) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes. The final season of executive producer Michael Bay’s prequel to Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island.” It’s war in the West Indies, and the shores of New Providence Island have never been bloodier. While Eleanor Guthrie and Woodes Rogers hold Nassau, Captain Flint sails to strike the final blow ... and from the interior, an insurgency builds, fueled by the legend of Long John Silver. But the closer civilization comes to defeat, the more desperately, and destructively, it will fight back. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital. Extras: “Inside the World of Black Sails” featurette, "Creating the World” featurette, "Roundtable: Women in Piracy” featurette, “Roundtable: The Legends of Treasure Island” featurette, “Roundtable: Fearless Fans” featurette. (Lionsgate).
Born in China
(2017) Documentary, narrated by John Krasinski, transports audiences to some of the world’s most extreme environments of China where few people have ever ventured to witness wildly intimate and adorable moments in the lives of three animal families -- a doting panda bear mother, a 2-year-old golden snub-nosed monkey, and a mother snow leopard. It's the seventh theatrical release from Disneynature, which brings the world’s top nature filmmakers together to share wildlife stories that engage, inspire and educate. And in continued efforts to help protect the wild animals featured in the film, Disneynature through the Conservation Fund has made a contribution to World Wildlife Fund to focus efforts that benefit wild pandas and snow leopards. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital. Extras: "Panda Suits & Bamboo Shoots" featurette with the Disneynature team as they struggle through an almost impenetrable bamboo forest in an effort to capture footage of pandas in the wild; "Walking with Monkeys" featurette with the shivering crew as they bundle up to film the adorable golden snub-nosed monkeys engaged in a surprisingly human activity; "Masters of Camouflage" behind the scenes as the filmmakers set out on a quest never before achieved: to find and film a snow leopard family in the wild; "Wading Through Wetlands" with the crew as they travel to far northeast China to catch the first moments of a red-crowned crane chick’s life; "Everything Everything” music video performed by American Authors; "Disneynature: Get Inspired, Get Involved": Disneynature and the Disney Conservation thank audiences and the animals who star in the films for helping to make Disneynature and its conservation efforts a success. (Disney).
Bring It On: Worldwide #Cheersmack
(2017) Vivica A. Fox, Cristine Prosperi, Jordan Rodrigues, Sophie Vavasseur, Gia Ré. The "Bring it On" franchise goes global, featuring 19 squads from around the globe, including teams from Australia, U.K., Germany and France, in addition to the Northern Elite Gymnastics and Cheer team from the United States. The film is the perfect hybrid of cheerleading and dance for a non-stop worldwide showdown. When Destiny (Prosperi), captain of three-time national champions “The Rebels,” is challenged to a global cheer showdown by an edgy new team called “The Truth,” the Cheer Goddess (Fox), the Internet’s most popular “Cheer-lebrity,” organizes a virtual battle for squads from all around the world. It seems like the whole world wants to take down Destiny and her team, and they just might succeed, unless she can rise to the challenge, set her ego aside and figure out who her real friends are. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "Around the World: Building the Squads," "A New Routine," "The Look of Bring It On: Worldwide," gag reel. (Universal).
Elementary: The Fifth Season
(2016-17) Six-disc set with all 24 episodes. The modern-day crime fighting drama stars Jonny Lee Miller as detective Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. Initially sober companion and client, Holmes and Watson's relationship evolved into a symbiotic professional investigative partnership where they crack the NYPD's most impossible cases. Holmes and Watson are the top homicide consultants for Captain Thomas Gregson (Aidan Quinn) and work regularly alongside Detective Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hill). Formats: DVD. Extras: "For The Hundredth Time" glimpse at "Elementary's" landmark 100th episode, while the cast and crew celebrate; "Flashbacks" special feature shows how the production team re-created years-old props and costumes to make the Byzantine story by making the scenes drop seamlessly into the show's fictional timeline; "The Fifth Elementary" behind-the-scenes with Liu and Quinn as they both take turns in the director's chair, along with the rest of the cast and crew to explore the big character stories and major developments of the season; "Reasoning Backwards" with showrunner Rob Doherty and the other deductive minds on Elementary's writing staff; deleted and extended scenes; gag reel. (CBS/Paramount).
Erik the Conqueror
(1961) In 1961, director Mario Bava turned his hand to the historical adventure genre, capitalizing on the recent success of 1958's Kirk Douglas vehicle "The Vikings." The result was this colorful, swashbuckling epic of treachery, heroism and forbidden love. In 786 AD, the invading Viking forces are repelled from the shores of England, leaving behind a young boy -- Erik, son of the slain Viking king. Years later, Erik (George Ardisson), raised by the English queen as her own, becomes Duke of Helford, while across the sea, his brother Eron (Cameron Mitchell) assumes leadership of the Viking horde and sets his sights on conquering England once again, setting the two estranged brothers on a collision course that will determine the fates of their respective kingdoms. Featuring a bombastic score by frequent collaborator Roberto Nicolosi ("Black Sunday") and memorably co-starring the stunning Kessler twins ("Sodom and Gomorrah"), "Erik the Conqueror" showcases Bava's immense talent for creating awe-inspiring spectacle with limited resources. Brand new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Original Italian and English mono audio (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc); new audio commentary by Tim Lucas, author of "Mario Bava - All the Colors of the Dark Gli imitatori," a comparison between "Erik the Conqueror" and its unacknowledged source, "The Vikings"; original ending; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys. FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Kat Ellinger. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
Killing Hasselhoff
(2016) Ken Jeong, David Hasselhoff, Rhys Darby, Jim Jefferies. What started out as a regular week quickly turns into the worst few days of his life when Chris (Jeong), a struggling nightclub owner, fails to pay back a loan shark and decides the only way to get the money is to kill his pick in the annual “Who Will Die This Year” celebrity death pool: David Hasselhoff. Aided by his friends Fish (Darby) and Tommy (Jefferies), Chris desperately tries everything he can to off the master of slow-motion running and claim the jackpot. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: Deleted scenes. (Universal).
arrives on Digital on Aug. 15 and on Blu-ray/DVD on Aug. 29. "The Lion King" follows the adventures of Simba, a feisty lion cub who cannot wait to be king, as he searches for his destiny in the great "Circle of Life." The film earned a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture-Comedy or Musical and inspired a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical that is currently the third longest-running musical in Broadway history. In 2019, a reimagined live-action film, helmed by Jon Favreau will retell the original tale using groundbreaking technological advances. Read more here.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, Disney Movies Anywhere (cloud). Extras: Brand new sing-along version; Audio commentary by producer Don Hahn and co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff; "Visualizing a Villain": against a backdrop of live dancers and the animated “Be Prepared” sequence, artist David Garibaldi paints a masterpiece of evil; "The Recording Sessions": rare footage of the actors recording their roles, matched with the final animation; :"Nathan and Matthew: The Extended Lion King Conversation"; "Inside the Story Room": Co-directors Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff present archival footage of five original story pitches (Circle of Life, Simba & Nala, Simba Takes Nala Out to Play, Matata, Rafiki and Reflecting Pool); "Music & More Sing-alongs": “Circle of Life,” “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” “Be Prepared,” “Hakuna Matata,” “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”; galleries: visual development, character design, storyboards, layouts, backgrounds & layouts; Classic Bonus Features (Digital Only) These offerings from prior home entertainment releases include hours of bonus material, such as bloopers, audio commentary, deleted and alternate scenes, and in-depth journeys into the music, film, story, animals and stage show. (Disney).
Mouton
(2013 -- France) The randomness of daily life is explored to mesmerizing effect in Gilles Deroo and Marianne Pistone's highly original debut feature, which captured the "Best First Film" and "Jury Award" at Switzerland's prestigious Locarno Film Festival. Mouton ("Sheep") is the nickname of Aurelien (David Mérabet), who at 17 is granted independence from his alcoholic mother and runs off to live on his own in the seaside town of Courseulles-sur-Mer. Hired as a chef's assistant, Sheep fits in well with the rest of the community as he and his co-workers diligently go about their chores; he even begins dating the new waitress (Audrey Clement). During a rowdy late-night celebration for the Feast of St. Anne, however, a man inexplicably cuts Mouton's arm off with a chainsaw; he survives, but moves away to another town. The film then shifts to follow some of Mouton's friends remaining in Courseulles-sur-Mer, such as twins (Emmanuel and Sebastien Legrand), kennel worker Mimi (Michael Mormentyn), and his wife, Louise (Cindy Dumont).
Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (IndiePix Films).
NCIS: The Fourteenth Season
(2016-17) Six-disc set with 24 episodes of the crime drama starring Mark Harmon as NCIS Special Agent Leroy Gibbs. From murder and espionage to terrorism and stolen submarines, NCIS (Naval Criminal Investigative Service) is more than just an action drama. With liberal doses of humor, it's a show that focuses on the sometimes complex and always amusing dynamics of a team forced to work together in high-stress situations involving Navy or Marine Corps ties. Gibbs, a former Marine gunnery sergeant whose skills as an investigator are unmatched and a man of few words, leads the NCIS troupe. The team includes Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), an MIT graduate with a brilliance for computers, and NCIS Agent Eleanor "Ellie" Bishop (Emily Wickersham), a mixture of analytic brilliance, fierce determination and idealism who specializes in international threat assessment and global preparation. The newest members to join the team include: NCIS Special Agent Nicholas "Nick" Tones (Wilmer Valderrama), who has spent most of his career on solo undercover assignments; NCIS Special Agent Alexandra "Alex" Quinn (Jennifer Esposito), a talented agent who left to be an instructor until Gibbs lured her back to the field and M16 Officer Clayton Reeves (Duane Henry), an international agent who's on loan to NCIS as a terror liaison during these complicated times. <>Formats: DVD. Extras: "Table Read "Nonstop": a table reading with the cast, producers and department heads of NCIS; "Opening Pandora's Box" discussion of the crossover episode of "NCIS and NCIS: New Orleans" by cast members; "Above Board: A Look at Season 14" commentary on the by the cast and crew; " Joining the Family: The New Agents"; "Tribute to Gary Glasberg (Executive Producer and Showrunner)"; "Brian Dietzen's NCIS" tour of the NCIS lot with actor Brian Dietzen; audio commentaries on select episodes. (CBS/Paramount).
New Battles Without Honor & Humanity (Limited Edition)
(1974 -- Japan) In the early 1970s, Kinji Fukasaku's five-film
"Battles Without Honor and Humanity" series was a massive hit in
Japan, and kicked off a boom in realistic, modern yakuza films based
on true stories. Although Fukasaku had intended to end the series,
Toei Studio convinced him to return to the director's chair for this
unconnected, follow-up trilogy of films, each starring "Battles"
leading man Bunta Sugawara and telling separate, but fictional stories
about the yakuza in different locations in Japan. In the first film,
Sugawara is Miyoshi, a low-level assassin of the Yamamori gang who is
sent to jail after a bungled hit. While in stir, family member Aoki
attempts to seize power from the boss, and Miyoshi finds himself stuck
between the two factions with no honorable way out.
In the second entry, "The Boss's Head," Sugawara is Kuroda, an
itinerant gambler who steps in when a hit by drug-addicted assassin
Kusunoki goes wrong, and takes the fall on behalf of the Owada family.
But when the gang fails to make good on financial promises to him,
Kuroda targets the family bosses with a ruthless vengeance. And in
"Last Days of the Boss," Sugawara plays Nozaki, a laborer who swears
allegiance to a sympathetic crime boss, only to find himself elected
his successor after the boss is murdered. Restrained by a gang
alliance that forbids retributions against high-level members, Nozaki
forms a plot to exact revenge on his rivals, but a suspicious
relationship with his own sister taints his relationship with his
fellow gang members.
Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo with original uncompressed mono
audio. Extras: "Beyond
the Films: New Battles Without Honor and Humanity," a new video
appreciation by Fukasaku biographer Sadao Yamane; "New Stories, New
Battles" and "Closing Stories," two new interviews with screenwriter
Koji Takada, about his work on the second and third films in the
trilogy; original theatrical trailers for all three films; reversible
sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Reinhard
Kleist; illustrated collector's book featuring new writing on the
films, the yakuza genre and Fukasaku's career, by Stephen Sarrazin,
Tom Mes, Hayley Scanlon, Chris D. and Marc Walkow.
(Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
Oxenfree
(2016) Steven Molony, Paul Vonasek, Timothy Lane, Kelli Breslin. As children, they all heard the stories of the beastly Grumpaboo that lurks deep in the woods. Now, as three foster brothers reunite at their old lake cabin following the death of their father, to relive a shared childhood, uncover the ruins of their make-believe kingdom, and hunt for the mythical monster that must be slain. What they find, however, is not what they expected in this award-winning, delightful, ultimately touching, reconciliation dramedy about childhood, adulthood and all the complicated parts in between. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Candy Factory Films).
Ronin
(1998) Robert De Niro, Jean Reno, Natascha McElhone, Stellan Skarsgård, Sean Bean, Skipp Sudduth, Michael Lonsdale, Jan Triska, Jonathan Pryce. RONIN. Noun, historical. A samurai who no longer serves a daimyo, or feudal lord. From director John Frankenheimer comes a pulse-pounding, action-packed crime thriller featuring an all-star cast headlined by Robert De Niro and Jean Reno. On a rain-swept night in Paris, an international crack team of professional thieves assembles, summoned by a shady crime syndicate fronted by the enigmatic Deirdre (Natascha McElhone). Their mission: to steal a heavily guarded briefcase from armed mobsters, its contents undisclosed. But what begins as a routine heist soon spirals into chaos, with the group beset by a series of double-crosses and constantly shifting allegiances, and it falls to world-weary former CIA strategist Sam (De Niro) and laconic Frenchman Vincent (Reno) to hold the mission together. A latter-day return to form for Frankenheimer, the film evokes the same gritty milieu as classic 70s crime fare like "The French Connection," in addition to anticipating the early 21st century trend towards more grounded, realistic action movies, exemplified by the likes of the Bourne franchise. And the fantastic car chase through the streets of Paris is done entirely live with stunt drivers; no digital tinkering here. In a brand new, cinematographer (Robert Fraisse)-approved 4K restoration. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Original English 5.1 audio (lossless on the Blu-ray Disc); audio commentary by Frankenheimer; new video interview with director of photography Robert Fraisse; Paul Joyce documentary on Robert De Niro; "Ronin: Filming in the Fast Lane," an archival behind-the-scenes featurette; "Through the Lens," an archival interview with Robert Fraisse; "The Driving of Ronin," an archival featurette on the film's legendary car stunts; "Natascha McElhone: An Actor's Process," an archival interview with the actress; "Composing the Ronin Score," an archival interview with composer Elia Cmiral; "In the Ronin Cutting Room," an archival interview with editor Tony Gibbs; Venice Film Festival interviews with Robert De Niro, Jean Reno and Natascha McElhone; alternate ending; theatrical trailer; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Jacob Phillips; FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet illustrated by Chris Malbon, featuring new writing on the film by critic Travis Crawford. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
The Slayer
(1982) Sarah Kendall, Frederick Flynn, Carol Kottenbrook. One of the most sought-after titles for slasher fans everywhere, "The Slayer" finally rises from the ashes of obscurity in a brand new 4K transfer. Two young couples set off to a secluded island for what promises to be a restful retreat. But the peace is short-lived: as a storm batters the island, troubled artist Kay begins to sense that a malevolent presence is here with them, stalking them at every turn. Is she losing her mind, or are her childhood nightmares of a demonic assailant coming to terrifying life? Previously only available on home video in truncated or full screen versions, "The Slayer" -- whose nightmares-seeping-into-reality theme predates a certain Wes Craven classic by several years -- comes lovingly restored from the original negative in a stunning transfer that will be a revelation to fans both old and new. Director-approved special edition with original Mono Audio (Uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray). Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: Audio commentary with writer-director J.S. Cardone, actress Carol Kottenbrook and executive in charge of production Eric Weston, moderated by Ewan Cant; audio Commentary with The Hysteria Continues; isolated score selections and audio interview with composer Robert Folk; "Nightmare Island: The Making of The Slayer" documentary featuring interviews with J.S. Cardone, Carol Kottenbrook, Eric Weston, producer William Ewing, director of photography Karen Grossman, camera operator/2nd Unit DOP/still photographer Arledge Armenaki, special creature and make-up effects creator Robert Short and "Slayer" performer Carl Kraines; "Return to Tybee: The Locations of The Slayer" featurette revisiting the shooting locations on Tybee Island, Georgia; "The Tybee Post Theater Experience" with the audience of the Tybee Post Theater (one of the film's key locations) for a very special home-town screening of the film. Includes event introduction, feature-length audience reaction track and post screening Q&A with Arledge Armenaki and Ewan Cant; still gallery; original theatrical trailer. FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Collector's booklet featuring new liner notes by writer Lee Gambin. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
Society [Limited Edition Steelbook]
(1989) Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Evan Richards, Ben Meyerson, Tim Bartell. After producing Stuart Gordon's hit "Re-Animator," Brian Yuzna ("Bride of Re-Animator," "Return of the Living Dead III") turned his hand to directing with 1989's "Society," and gave birth to one of the ickiest, most original body horror shockers of all time. Teenager Bill Whitney (Billy Warlock) has always felt like the odd one out in his wealthy, upper-class Beverly Hills family. For some reason, he just doesn't seem to fit in. But his sense of alienation takes a sinister turn when he hears an audio recording of his sister's coming-out party, which seems to implicate his family and others in a bizarre, ritualistic orgy. And then there are the strange things he's been seeing -- glimpses of people with their bodies contorted impossibly out of shape ... Is Bill going mad or is there something seriously amiss in his neighborhood? Packing stomach-churning grue and thought-provoking social commentary in equal measure, "Society" is a biting horror satire that culminates in one of the most gag-inducing "climaxes" in all of horror history. Newly remastered 2K digital transfer of the film, approved by director Brian Yuzna. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: Original Stereo 2.0 audio (uncompressed PCM on the Blu-ray); new audio commentary by Yuzna; "Governor of Society" new interview with Yuzna; "The Masters of the Hunt" new featurette including interviews with stars Billy Warlock, Devin DeVasquez, Ben Meyerson and Tim Bartell; "The Champion of the Shunt" new featurette with FX artists Screaming Mad George, David Grasso and Nick Benson; 2014 Q&A with Yuzna, recorded at Celluloid Screams Festival; Brian Yuzna in conversation backstage at the Society world premiere; "Persecution Mania" Screaming Mad George music video; collectors booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Alan Jones, illustrated with original archive stills and posters. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
© 1996 -- 2017 OnVideo. All rights reserved
August 28, 2017
(ISSN 1094-3676).
|
|
