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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
DTF: Over the course of 18 months, a filmmaker follows his friend "Christian" as his career as a long-haul pilot takes him to the far corners of the Earth. Widowed and lonely, "Christian" uses his career to find new love in far-off lands as the camera captures his misadventures in lust and love. (Amazon, iTunes, Comcast, Spectrum, Vudu: Digital, VOD only)
House of Cardin: Take a rare journey into the mind of a fashion genius, chronicling the life and career of legendary French designer Pierre Cardin. Originally renowned in the 50s and 60s for pioneering outrageously trendy ready-to-wear fashions, this documentary traces his origins as an apprentice all the way through to his current position atop a fashion empire. (DVD release: October 13)
The Last Laugh: A stand-up comedian on the verge of breakout success must make a terrible choice when he discovers a murderer on the loose in the theater where he’s about to perform his biggest show. (VOD only)
The Secret: Dare to Dream: Based on the groundbreaking best-selling book by Rhonda Byrne, the film follows Miranda (Katie Holmes), a young widow trying to make ends meet while raising her three children and dating her boyfriend (Jerry O’Connell). A devastating storm brings an enormous challenge and a mysterious man, Bray (Josh Lucas), into Miranda’s life. (DVD, Blu-ray, VOD release: September 22)
Wheels: Dreaming of a better future, a young DJ confronts his family struggles in the streets of Brooklyn. (VOD, Digital only)
Mambo Man: In 2017, after more than half a century since Castro’s revolution, Cuba opens her arms to the West and the Yankee dollar. Born into communism, JC (Héctor Noas) thinks himself a big fish in a small pond – a local music producer and promoter, farmer and small-time hustler who lives by his wits and imagination. Now he gambles everything on a once-in-a-lifetime deal in a music-filled drama shot on the island and based on a true story. (Virtual theater release)
Murder in the Woods: Soon after arriving to a mysterious cabin in the woods, a group of teens discover the dark secret it holds, which forces them to fight for their lives. (Digital, VOD only)
Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs: Animated retelling of the Snow White fable, only this time it’s the princess who must save the prince(s)-- all seven of them. Features the voices of Chloë Grace Moretz, Sam Claflin, Gina Gershon, Patrick Warburton. (DVD, Blu-ray release: September 22)
Alejandro Jodorowsky: 4K Restoration Collection
Deluxe box set includes the latest film by the great Chilean French artist/filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky, "Psychomagic, A Healing Art," as well as "Fando y Lis," "El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain" restored in 4K on Blu-ray, along with new bonus features and CD soundtracks of the latter two titles.
At the age of 91, Jodorowsky is as relevant as he's ever been. In addition to completing "Psychomagic, A Healing Art," he supervised the color correction of the 4K restorations of his essential films using the original 35mm elements, with stunning and vibrant results.
The cult classic "El Topo" is presented in 1:33 aspect ratio as it was shown in theaters in 1970. It is also available for the first time in 1.85:1 widescreen. Jodorowsky originally envisioned the film with this aspect ratio as an homage to Sergio Leone, and a half century later, that dream has finally been fulfilled. "El Topo" was followed by "The Holy Mountain," which firmly established Jodorowsky as an auteur of Surrealist Cinema and sparked controversy at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival due to its sacrilegious imagery. The mythical, mystical masterpiece follows an elite group of thieves who embark on a spiritual journey to displace the immortal Gods who secretly rule the universe. Jodorowsky's first feature, "Fando y Lis," is a brutal and scathing examination of destructive co-dependence between two lovers conflicted by anguish and the demands they put on one another. Its grotesque and salacious imagery caused a riot at the 1967 premiere in Acapulco, which he narrowly escaped after having his life threatened. The set also contains the 1957 short film "Le Cravate," a mime adaptation of a Thomas Mann story about a Parisian urchin who makes her living selling human heads. The box set features a book with photos and essays as well as newly filmed interviews with Jodorowsky and his long time personal assistant Pablo Leder. Jodorowsky's son Brontis, who made his acting debut as the young boy in "El Topo," is also interviewed. In addition, there are new introductions by Columbia University professor Richard Peña, a mini-documentary "A to Z of The Holy Mountain," narrated by Jodorowsky biographer Ben Cobb, and CD soundtracks for "El Topo" and "The Holy Mountain." Formats: Blu-ray. (ABKCO Films). Due September 18.
The Best of Cher
Cher initially rose to stardom as part of a singing act with then husband Sonny Bono in the 1960s, hitting No. 1 with the single “I Got You Babe” before they starred together on The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour. Following a parting of ways, the incredibly talented artist spread
The Cat and the Canary
(1939) Comedy legend Bob Hope is at his very best in this hilarious comedy-thriller. A decade after the death of an eccentric millionaire, his remaining relatives gather for the reading of the will at his abandoned mansion set deep in the Louisiana bayous. Tension builds after his niece Joyce (Paulette Goddard) is named the sole inheritor and it is revealed that one of the other relatives will get everything if the heiress goes insane within the next 30 days. The timid Wally (Hope) vows to protect Joyce who must spend the night in the haunted mansion along with her jealous relatives, a creepy maid and a homicidal maniac who has just escaped from a nearby sanitarium. An equal mix of both frights and fun, this unforgettable classic has become the gold standard for the horror-comedy genre. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: New audio commentary by author/film historian Lee Gambin, theatrical trailer. (Kino Lorber Studio Classics).
Fear PHarm
(2020) Emily Sweet, Aimee Stolte, Houston Stevenson. Four high school seniors attempt to make it through the world’s scariest Halloween corn maze in order to win a grand cash prize at their local fair. Unbeknownst to them, what they had thought would be easy and fun becomes a run for their lives from a deranged family that harvests the DNA of young teens for their special pharmaceutical cream. Formats: DVD, VOD. Extras: Cast behind-the-scenes, chainsaw day footage, table read. (Indican pictures).
Flying Leathernecks
(1951) Marine fighter squadron VMF 247 is in the thick of it on Guadalcanal. The airstrip they hold is hammered by offshore batteries. Malaria and combat fatigue grip the men. Fuel is low and replacement parts are few. The only things not in short supply are the enemy ... and Major Don Kirby’s determination to keep fighting with whatever he has. John Wayne is in the cockpit and in command as Kirby, a leader at odds with his executive officer (Robert Ryan) and at the forefront of tacticians eager to coordinate ground combat with low-flying aerial sorties. Nicholas Ray directs, skillfully incorporating actual battlefield and dogfight footage. 4K scan of original nitrate Technicolor camera negatives.
Formats: Blu-ray. (Warner Archive).
In the Life of Music
(2018) Ellen Wong with on-screen debuts from Ratanak Ben, Daniel Chea, and best-selling Cambodian music group Small World Small Band. Follows the journey of Hope (Ellen Wong) a young American girl visiting her relatives in Cambodia for the first time. Determined to learn the history of her parents, Hope discovers the story of how one song, “Champa Battambang,” played an integral part of three generations. Starting with how her parents met and fell in love in 1968, to their fight for survival during the war-torn Khmer Rouge years of the 1970s and finally finishing in the modern day with Hope getting the answers she has longed for. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Indican Pictures).
Little Monsters BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1989) Fred Savage, Howie Mandel, Daniel Stern, Margaret Whitton. Family friendly comedy about a sixth-grader (Savage) who’s recently moved to a new town and made friends with Maurice (Mandel) — the monster who lives under Brian's bed. Maurice introduces Brian to the world of monsters, where junk food rules, adults aren’t allowed, and the fun and games never end. But when Brian's brother is kidnapped, it’s time for Brian to get serious and fight the monsters on their own turf. Formats: Blu-ray, Digital. Extras: New audio commentary with Jarret Gahan, editor-in-chief of CultofMonster.com; new Isolated score selections and audio interview with composer David Newman; new “Call Him Maurice” interview with actor Howie Mandel; new “Beneath the Bed” interview with producer Andrew Licht ; new “Monsters Big & Small” – An Interview with Special Makeup Effects Creator Robert Short; new vintage interviews with actors Fred Savage, Ben Savage, special makeup effects creator Robert Short, and director Richard Alan Greenberg; behind-the-scenes footage; “Making Maurice” – vintage footage of Howie Mandel’s makeup transformation; vintage EPK & VHS promo; theatrical trailer; still gallery. (Vestron Video Collector’s Series/Lionsgate).
Mom: The Complete Third Season
(2015-16) Two-disc set with all 22 episodes. Anna Faris and Allison Janney star in this comedy from executive producer Chuck Lorre ("The Big Bang Theory"). Christy (Faris) is still sober and has her life mostly back on track, though she’s continually tested by her mother, Bonnie (Janney). Together, the two work to overcome their mistakes and build a better future. Christy is well on her way to becoming a lawyer, while Bonnie is in a healthy romantic relationship and has just married Adam (William Fichtner). Through it all, they rely on their support system from AA, including the wise Marjorie (Mimi Kennedy); the wealthy and sometimes misguided Jill (Jaime Pressly); the overly emotional Wendy (Beth Hall); and Bonnie’s foster sister, Tammy (Kristen Johnston), who was recently released from prison.
Formats: DVD. (Warner).
One Hour Outcall
(2019) Natalia Ochoa, William Norrett, Kristin Carey, Shannon Leigh Godwin, Octavio Rodriguez, Will Holbrook. A sexy drama unraveling the complex relationship between a call girl and her client who meet every Thursday night. Esmeralda (Ochoa) is a college-aged, high-class escort, Greg (Norrett ) a middle-aged, divorced introvert. Sexual tension and curiosity fill the air during their first rendezvous, each vying for the upper hand. As they continue their weekly explorations, however, they start to develop an intimacy that goes beyond the transactional and into the deeply personal. When his ulterior motive is revealed, their interludes force Greg to confront his relationship with Esmeralda, his family, and his own inner demons. And it forces Esmeralda to question whether or not she can truly leave her emotions at the door.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Gravitas Ventures).
Shivers BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1975) Paul Hampton, Joe Silver, Lynn Lowry, Barbara Steele. A cult favorite, this is acclaimed filmmaker David Cronenberg’s feature-length debut. When the residents of a luxury apartment complex outside Montreal are infiltrated by parasites and transformed into violent, sex-crazed maniacs, it’s up to Dr. Roger St. Luc to contain the outbreak from spreading to the city at large. Formats: Blu-ray, Digital. Extras: New audio commentary with writer-director David Cronenberg and co-producer Don Carmody; new“Mind Over Matter” interview with Cronenberg ; new “Good Night Nurse” interview with actress Lynn Lowry; new “Outside and Within” interview with special make-up effects creator Joe Blasco; new “Celebrating Cinépix” interview with Greg Dunning; archival 1998 David Cronenberg interview; still gallery with optional archival audio interview with executive producer John Dunning; theatrical trailers; TV spot; radio spots. (Vestron Video Collector’s Series/Lionsgate).
Stephen King 5-Movie Collection
Based on the written works of Stephen King, these five films offer perfect entertainment for Halloween: "Pet Sematary" (1989), "Pet Sematary" (2019), "Stephen King’s The Stand" (1994), "The Dead Zone" (1983) and "Stephen King’s Silver Bullet" (1985).
Formats: Blu-ray. (Paramount).
The Transcendents
(2020) Savannah Welch, Rob Franco, Kathy Valentine, Ben Reno, William LeRoy, Paul Sevigny, Cecilia Deacon. A rock 'n' roll comedy thriller about Roger, a Rasputin-like drifter, who is in search of the ultimate indie-rock band, The Transcendents: A band that was on the brink of greatness before disappearing from the world. What he finds is less than transcendent: a band that has all but abandoned society, a host of unpleasant memories, and more questions than answers in his search. Formats: DVD, Digital. (Indican Pictures).
Succession: The Complete Second Season
(2019) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes of HBO’s provocative drama about an enormously wealthy, aging patriarch and his four grown children, who together control one of the biggest entertainment conglomerates in the world. The series explores themes of power, politics, money and family, played out within a rich and dysfunctional family whose patriarch, Logan Roy (Brian Cox), is CEO of Waystar Royco, one of the world’s largest media and entertainment conglomerates. Beginning where season one dramatically left off, the second season follows the Roys as they struggle to retain control of their empire amidst internal and external threats. While the future looks increasingly uncertain, it is the past that portends to ultimately destroy them, as each of Logan’s four children remains focused on personal agendas that may or may not sync with those of their siblings. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: "Invitation to the Set," 10 "Inside the Episode" featurettes. (Warner).
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"Psychomagic, A Healing Art" is an intimate exploration of the visionary director's theory of trauma therapy. Jodorowsky's unique concept of healing uses performance art as a vehicle to counter deep, debilitating psychic suffering with literal "acts of confrontation" in real world applications. Drawing from a life-long study of philosophy, psychology, ethnology, and world religions, from Freud to Shamans, from Kabbalah to Gurdjieff and everything in between, Jodorowsky works directly with people in pain who are eager to face, resolve and transcend their personal dilemmas through the use of radical performative art therapy. His healing concepts extend beyond the individual to the global, offering humanity a collective catharsis to a higher consciousness. “The world is ill, we need to make therapy pictures,” said Jodorowsky of his work. “If art is not a medicine for society, it's a poison.”
Beau Travail
(1999 -- France) With her ravishingly sensual take on Herman Melville’s "Billy Budd, Sailor," Claire Denis firmly established herself as one of the great visual tone poets of our time. Amid the azure waters and sunbaked desert landscapes of Djibouti, a French Foreign Legion sergeant (Denis Lavant) sows the seeds of his own ruin as his obsession with a striking young recruit (Grégoire Colin) plays out to the thunderous, operatic strains of Benjamin Britten. Denis and cinematographer Agnès Godard fold military and masculine codes of honor, colonialism’s legacy, destructive jealousy, and repressed desire into shimmering, hypnotic images that ultimately explode in one of the most startling and unforgettable endings in all of modern cinema.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, with new 4K digital restoration, supervised by director of photography Agnès Godard and approved by director Claire Denis, with uncompressed stereo soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras: New conversation between Denis and filmmaker Barry Jenkins; new selected scene commentary with Godard; new interviews with actors Denis Lavant and Grégoire Colin; new video essay by film scholar Judith Mayne; an essay by critic Girish Shambu. (The Criterion Collection).
her wings, established a chart-topping solo career of her own, starred in her own variety show, and sold out music venues across the globe. This nine-disc set encompasses her entire career. The Best of Cher 9-DVD Collector’s Set includes: 10 star-studded episodes of Cher with guest appearances by Charo, Ray Charles, Elton John, The Muppets, Linda Ronstadt, Raquel Welch, and more; both of Cher’s legendary TV Specials from the ‘70s; two unforgettable concerts in Vegas, live from the MGM Grand and the Mirage; The full-length documentary "Dear Mom, Love Cher," a rare peek into Cher’s fascinating family history; exclusive new interviews with comedy icon Lily Tomlin, designer Bob Mackie, Cher executive producer George Schlatter, and Cher; rare clips including early TV appearances, rehearsal footage, and even Cher’s personal camcorder footage; a collectible book of Bob Mackie’s original wardrobe sketches for Cher. 
Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway
(2019 -- Spain) What do you get when you cross Afro-futurism, Cold War paranoia, the dystopian world of Philip K. Dick and 60s exploitation cinema, along with a hefty dose of Lynchian surrealism? The answer: The second feature by Miguel Llansó ("Crumbs") and one of the most striking and original films you'll see all year. The year is 2035, and Special Agent Gagano (Daniel Tadesse) dreams of leaving the CIA to open a business with his wife Malin (Gerda-Annette Allikas). Before he can hand in his resignation, however, a strange cyber virus attacks Psychobook, the CIA's operating system, forcing Gagano to enter cyberspace via virtual reality to combat the threat. Before long, however, the virus starts to reach out into the real world, destabilising the fragile socio-political order for its own ends, and Gagano, trapped in the VR world, must find a way out before it's too late. Featuring encounters with an Irish-accented Joseph Stalin, a kung-fu-fighting Batman, and Jesus Christ himself, to name but a few, "Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway" is absurd, audacious and like nothing you've ever experienced before. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: New audio commentary by critics Alexandra Heller-Nicholas and Anton Bitel; "From Talinn with Love," a new visual essay by critic Will Webb exploring the influence of exploitation cinema on "Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway"; exclusive audio interview with director Miguel Llansó, conducted by critic Josh Hurtado; "Crumbs" (2015), Miguel Llansó’s feature directorial debut and spiritual predecessor to "Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway" (Limited Edition Exclusive); "Chigger Ale" (2013) and "Night in the Wild Garden" (2015), two short films by Miguel Llansó; original proof-of-concept trailer; theatrical trailer; image gallery; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Austin Hinderliter; double-sided fold-out poster; Limited Edition illustrated collector's booklet featuring new writing on "Jesus Shows You the Way to the Highway" by Barry Forshaw and "Crumbs" by Anton Bitel. Limited Edition of 2000 copies. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
Outlander: Season Five (2020) Four-disc set with all 12 episodes. Follows the story of Claire Randall, a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, where she is immediately thrown into an unknown world in which her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry Jamie Fraser, a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate relationship is ignited that tears Claire's heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives. The fifth season follows Claire and Jamie's fight to protect those they love, as they navigate the trials and tribulations of life in colonial America. The Frasers strive to flourish within a society which is unwittingly marching towards Revolution, and Jamie must now defend the home they have built together at Fraser's Ridge while Claire seeks to put her own skills and medical expertise to use in keeping her family together and safe from harm. A Collector's Edition Blu-ray set will also include a compact disc of the season 5 soundtrack, a 28-page digibook, and an excerpt from Diana Gabaldon's upcoming ninth Outlander novel, "Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone," all within premium collector packaging. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray Collector's Edition, Digital. Extras: Four never-before-seen "Outlander Untold" bonus scenes; blooper reel; "Strength in Action: The Women of Outlander" featurette; "Through Fire & Hell: The Finale" featurette; "Flowers of the Forest" lyric video; "At Home with Adso." Blu-ray adds 16 deleted scenes; "The Heart of the Frasers" featurette; "Expanding the World: Sets & Costumes" featurette; writer and producer commentaries. (Sony).
