This Week's DVD, Blu-ray Releases -- OnVideo

OnVideo Logo

Amazon Video
ales


Join the
Sixties generation

dvd DVD

blu-ray
Blu-ray Releases

calendar
home page
video resources
links


dujour

iway 500
winner

Good & Associates logo

Masthead created by Good & Associates

OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases

Tuesday, November 17 -- Monday, November 23

All DVD Releases

  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

    photo for The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Director Guy Ritchie's "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." isn't really "The Man From U.N.C.L.E." It's actually a feature film prequel to the very popular -- and hip for its time -- 1960s spy spoof TV series of the same name (starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum), and as such has to be evaluated as a standalone thriller -- U.N.C.L.E. doesn't appear until the fading moments of the film. That being said, this U.N.C.L.E. is a distant relative to Ritchie's "Sherlock Holmes," offering a mix of action, slapstick, comedy and tongue-in-cheekery that worked so well in that 2009 Robert Downey Jr.-Jude Law adventure, but that here just doesn't congeal. At the height of the Cold War in the early 1960s, a neo-Nazi criminal group is working on creating a nuclear bomb to upset the fragile balance of power between the United States and Soviet Union. Called into action are CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) and KGB agent Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer), who are forced to work together to track down a German scientist responsible for the bomb. Their only lead is the scientist's daughter (Alicia Vikander), and the threesome travel from East Germany to Italy to put the criminal organization out of business. With a humdrum, by-the-numbers storyline and zero chemistry between the three leads, this U.N.C.L.E. is all style and little substance. Solo's flip retorts and Kuryakin's outbursts of anger grow tiresome after awhile, and even the cool cars, the stunning clothes and the gorgeous scenery cant pull this from a quagmire of spy drudgery. Vitals: Director: Guy Ritchie. Stars: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, Hugh Grant. 2015, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 116 min., Action Adventure, Box office gross: $45.391 million, Warner. Extras: "A Higher Class of Hero" featurette. Blu-ray adds "Spy Vision: Recreating '60s Cool," "Metisse Motorcycles: Proper -- and Very British," "The Guys from U.N.C.L.E.," "A Man of Extraordinary Talents," "U.N.C.L.E: On-Set Spy." 2 stars


    Advertisement


  • Jimmy's Hall

    photo for Jimmy's Hall In 1921, Jimmy Gralton's sin was to build a dance hall on a rural crossroads in an Ireland on the brink of Civil War. Young people could come to the hall to learn, to argue, to dream ... but above all to dance and have fun. As the hall grew in popularity, its socialist and free-spirited reputation brought it to the attention of the church and politicians, who forced Jimmy to flee and the hall to close. A decade later, as Jimmy reintegrates into the community and sees the poverty and growing cultural oppression, the leader and activist within him is stirred. He makes the decision to reopen the hall in the face of whatever trouble it may bring. Based on a true story. Vitals: Director: Ken Loach. Stars: Barry Ward, Francis Magee, Aileen Henry, Simone Kirby. 2015, CC, MPAA rating: PG-13, 106 min., Drama, Box office gross: $.548 million, Sony. Extras: Deleted scenes, making-of featurette, commentary with actors Barry Ward and Simone Kirby. 3 stars

  • We Are Your Friends

    photo for We Are Your Friends Set in the world of electronic music and Hollywood nightlife, an aspiring 23-year-old DJ named Cole (Zac Efron) spends his days scheming with his childhood friends and his nights working on the one track that will set the world on fire. All of this changes when he meets a charismatic but damaged older DJ named James (Wes Bentley), who takes him under his wing. Things get complicated, however, when Cole starts falling for James' much younger girlfriend, Sophie (Emily Ratajkowski). With Cole's forbidden relationship intensifying and his friendships unraveling, he must choose between love, loyalty, and the future he is destined for. Vitals: Director: Max Joseph. Stars: Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski, Wes Bentley, Johnny Weston, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer. 2015, CC, MPAA rating: R, 96 min., Drama, Box office gross: $3.565 million, Warner. Extras: "How Zac Efron Learned to DJ." 2 stars



    Blu-ray Debuts

  • The Apu Trilogy (Criterion)
  • In Cold Blood (1967) (Criterion)
  • White of the Eye (1987)

    Read more.



go back to top



All DVD Releases

The Apu Trilogy Two decades after its original negatives were burned in a fire, Satyajit Ray's breathtaking milestone of world cinema rises from the ashes in a meticulously reconstructed new restoration. The "Apu Trilogy" brought India into the golden age of international art-house film, following one indelible character, a free-spirited child in rural Bengal who matures into an adolescent urban student and finally a sensitive man of the world. These delicate masterworks -- "Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road)" (1955), "Aparajito (The Unvanquished)" (1956), and "Apur Sansar (The World of Apu)" (1959) -- based on two books by Bibhutibhusan Banerjee, were shot over the course of five years, and each stands on its own as a tender, visually radiant journey. They are among the most achingly beautiful, richly humane movies ever made. New 4K digital restorations of all three films, undertaken in collaboration with the Academy Film Archive at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and L'Immagine Ritrovata, with uncompressed monaural soundtracks on the Blu-rays. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Audio recordings from 1958 of Ray reading his essay "A Long Time on the Little Road" and in conversation with film historian Gideon Bachmann; new interviews with actors Soumitra Chatterjee, Shampa Srivastava, and Sharmila Tagore, camera assistant Soumendu Roy, and film writer Ujjal Chakraborty; new video essay by Ray biographer Andrew Robinson on the trilogy's evolution and production; "The Apu Trilogy: A Closer Look," a new program featuring filmmaker, producer, and teacher Mamoun Hassan; excerpts from the 2003 documentary "The Song of the Little Road," featuring composer Ravi Shankar; "The Creative Person: Satyajit Ray," a 1967 half-hour documentary by James Beveridge, featuring interviews with Ray, several of his actors, members of his creative team, and film critic Chidananda Das Gupta; footage of Ray receiving an honorary Oscar in 1992; new program on the restorations by filmmaker :: kogonada; a booklet featuring essays by critics Terrence Rafferty and Girish Shambu. (The Criterion Collection).

Christmas Mix (2014 -- TV) Haylie Duff, Tilky Jones, Maureen McCormick, Jim O'Heir. A cynical radio host is banished to Idylwild, Colorado, where his on-air spats with a hopeless romantic, and their antagonistic relationship, sparks the interest of the whole town. Formats: DVD. (Monarch Home Entertainment).

The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki photo for The Collected Works of Hayao Miyazaki Twelve-disc set with 11 of Miyazaki's films: "Lupin the Third: The Castle of Cagliostro" (1979), "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind" (1984), "Castle in the Sky" (1986), "My Neighbor Totoro" (1988), "Kiki's Delivery Service" (1989), "Porco Rosso" (1992), "Princess Mononoke" (1997), "Spirited Away" (2001), "Howl's Moving Castle" (2004), "Ponyo" (2008/2009), "The Wind Rises" (2013). Formats: DVD. Extras: "Yuki no Taiyo (Yuki's Sun)," a 1972 TV pilot based on an original manga by Tetsuya Chiba, directed by Hayao Miyazaki who was also in charge of storyboards and key animation; "Akado Suzunosuke (Little Samurai)," three episodes (Episode 26, 27 & 41) of the hit 1972 anime series with storyboarding and more by Hayao Miyazaki; "Director Hayao Miyazaki Retirement Press Conference," uncut version; a collector's edition booklet featuring "The Great Dichotomy: Looking at the Works of Hayao Miyazaki" by Tomohiro Machiyama, which explores his themes and techniques, and selected text from Miyazaki's initial notes and creative proposals for the production of each film. (Disney).

Dark Film Mysteries Eleven film noir classics. Shot in a low-key, black-and-white, gloomy style with roots in German Expressionist cinematography, these films showcase the dark, callous side of human nature and are filled with an oppressive atmosphere of pessimism, fatality and doom enhanced by shadowy characters and locations swirling with moody dialogue and cigarette smoke. "Woman on the Run" (1950), "Quicksand" (1950), "Detour" (1945), "Inner Sanctum" (1948), "Kansas City Confidential" (1952), "The Stranger" (1946), "Fear in the Night" (1947), "The Strange Woman" (1946), "The Red House" (1947), "The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" (1946) and one of the moodiest, blackest thrillers ever made, Fritz Lang's steamy and fatalistic "Scarlet Street" (1945). DVD: $19.98. (Film Chest Media Group).

photo for Gene Autry Movie Collection 12 Gene Autry Movie Collection 12 Two-disc set, $19.97. Gene Autry is the only entertainer with all five stars on Hollywood's Walk of Fame, one each for Radio, Recording, Motion Pictures, Television and Live Performance. He was the silver screen's first singing cowboy and is credited with creating the genre of the musical B Western. As the star of 89 feature films, Gene brought music, comedy and action to each of his roles. Autry's rollicking big screen adventures and unforgettable tunes are brought home in these four classics, fully restored and uncut from Autry's personal film archives, in their DVD debuts: "The Sagebrush Troubadour" (1935), "Ride, Ranger, Ride" (1936), "Yodelin' Kid from Pine Ridge" (1937) and "Gold Mine in the Sky" (1938). Formats: DVD. (Timeless Media Group).

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Extended Edition (2014) The adventures of Bilbo Baggins come to an epic conclusion available as a five-DVD set ($34.99) and as a three Blu-ray Disc set $35.99. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Nine plus hours of new special features including audio commentary with director-producer-screenwriter Peter Jackson and co-producer/screenwriter, Philippa Boyens; "The Appendices," a multi-part documentary focusing on various aspects of the film and the Trilogy; "New Zealand: Home of Middle-earth – Part 3." (New Line/MGM/Warner).

The Hobbit Trilogy Extended Edition Extended versions of all three films: "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and "The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies." Available as a nine-disc Blu-ray set ($99.98) and a 15-disc DVD set ($78.92). Formats: Blu-ray 3D, Blu-ray, DVD, Digital. (New Line/MGM/Warner).

photo for A Horse Tale A Horse Tale (2015) Charisma Carpenter, Patrick Muldoon, Dominique Swain, Mandalynn Carlson. An uptight city accountant, struggling to raise his teenage daughter on his own, moves to the country to help a friend save his family stables before ruthless bank managers shut it down. Approved for all ages by the Dove Foundation. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Lionsgate).



In Cold Blood (1967) Truman Capote's best seller, a breakthrough narrative account of real-life crime and punishment, became an equally chilling film in the hands of writer-director Richard Brooks. Cast for their unsettling resemblances to the killers they play, Robert Blake and Scott Wilson give authentic, unshowy performances as Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, who in 1959 murdered a family of four in Kansas during a botched robbery. Brooks brings a detached, documentary-like starkness to this uncompromising view of an American tragedy and its aftermath; at the same time, stylistically "In Cold Blood" is a filmmaking master class, with clinically precise editing, chiaroscuro black-and-white cinematography by the great Conrad L. Hall and a menacing jazz score by Quincy Jones. New 4K digital restoration, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: New interview with cinematographer John Bailey on the film's cinematography; new interview with film historian Bobbie O'Steen on the film's editing; new interview with film critic and jazz historian Gary Giddins on the film's music by Quincy Jones; new interview with writer Douglass Daniel on director Richard Brooks; interview with Brooks from 1988 from the French television series "Cinema cinemas"; interview with actor Robert Blake from 1968 from the British television series "Good Evening With Jonathan King"; "With Love From Truman," a short 1966 documentary featuring the novelist, directed by Albert and David Maysles; two archival NBC interviews with Capote: One following the author on a 1966 visit to Holcomb, Kansas, and the other conducted by Barbara Walters in 1967; trailer; an essay by critic Chris Fujiwara. (The Criterion Colle photo for Jeff Dunham's Unhinged in Hollywood Jeff Dunham's Unhinged in Hollywood (2015) Jeff Dunham's wildly dysfunctional family, including Walter, Peanut, Bubba J, Little Jeff and Achmed the Dead Terrorist, has performed all over the world. Now, for the first time, they're heading to one of the strangest places on Earth: Hollywood, California. In "Jeff Dunham's Unhinged in Hollywood," his iconic characters take over the framed Dolby Theater, home to film and television's greatest awards shows, and find themselves in true culture shock: Achmed lets celebrity go to his head, Bubba J is lost in LA-LA-land, and Walter would rather be anywhere else. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc. Extras: Both the original uncensored and family friendly versions, "Greetings Hollywood" mashup by DJ Steve Porter. (Universal).

Jimmy's Hall (2015) Dir.: Ken Loach; Barry Ward, Francis Magee, Aileen Henry, Simone Kirby. During the Depression, Jimmy Gralton returns home to Ireland after 10 years of exile in America. Seeing the levels of poverty and oppression, the activist in him reawakens and he looks to re-open the dance hall that led to his deportation. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray Disc, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: Deleted scenes, making-of featurette, commentary with actors Barry Ward and Simone Kirby. (Sony).

Living in Oblivion: The 20th Anniversary Edition BLU-RAY DEBUT (1995) Steve Buscemi, Catherine Keener, Dermot Mulroney, James Le Gros, Peter Dinklage, Danielle Von Zerneck. An inventive, hilarious look behind the scenes of the movie-making business, the film takes place during one day on set of non-budget movie. The leading man has just had a disastrous one-night stand with the leading lady; the cinematographer is breaking up with the assistant director; the director’s mother has wandered onto the set; and the little person hired for the dream sequence has a big attitude. Extras: Audio commentary with writer-director Tom DiCillo; "In Our Own Oblivion: The Miracle of Making a Film" featurette with new interviews with DiCillo, producer Marcus Viscidi and cast members Steve Buscemi, James Le Gros, Danielle Von Zerneck and Peter Dinklage; Q&A with DiCillo and Buscemi; deleted scene. (Shout! Factory).

McHale's Navy: The Complete Series (1962-66) Twenty-one disc set with all 138 episodes, $169.99. Formats: DVD. Extras: "The Crew Reunion": Ernest Borgnine, Tim Conway, Carl Ballantine, Bob Hastings and Edson Stroll reunite and share their memories of the show; two full-length feature films starring the crew of the PT-73: "McHale's Navy" (1964) and "McHale's Navy Joins the Air Force" (1965). (Shout! Factory).

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) Dir.: Guy Ritchie.; Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, Hugh Grant. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray/DVD Combo, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "A Higher Class of Hero" featurette. Blu-ray adds "Spy Vision: Recreating '60s Cool," "Metisse Motorcycles: Proper -- and Very British," "The Guys from U.N.C.L.E.," "A Man of Extraordinary Talents," "U.N.C.L.E: On-Set Spy." (Warner).

Mary Tyler Moore: A Celebration (2014) Mary Tyler Moore's stage and screen career is paved with a slew of awards and nominations: Moore has earned seven Emmys (two for her role of the beloved Laura Petrie on "The Dick Van Dyke Show" and four for "The Mary Tyler Moore Show"), three Golden Globes (one for" Ordinary People," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" respectively), a Tony Award ("Whose Life Is It Anyway?"), and an Academy Award Nomination ("Ordinary People"). Behind the scenes, Moore devoted her life to the American Diabetes Association. This special features dozens of classic clips -- plus comments from Betty White, Ed Asner, Valerie Harper, Cloris Leachman, Gavin MacLeod, John Amos, Carl Reiner, Dick Van Dyke, and Mary Tyler Moore herself. Plus, Oprah Winfrey recounts Mary Tyler Moore's critical role in inspiring Oprah—and millions of others—as TV's first independent career woman. Formats: DVD. (PBS Distribution).

Merry Ex-Mas (2014) Kristy Swanson, Dean Cain, Lochlyn Munro, Jodi Lyn O'Keefe, Shannon Kummer. During a blizzard at Christmas, a man becomes snowbound with his ex-wife, her wealthy suitor, his former mother-in-law and his daughter. Formats: DVD. (Monarch Home Entertainment).

The Rebel: Season Two (1960-61) Six-disc set featuring all 40 episodes from "The Rebel's" second and final season, $34.99. The series chronicled the adventures of former Confederate soldier Johnny Yuma (Nick Adams). Haunted by his experiences in the Civil War, the young and intense Yuma wanders the West in search of causes to champion, wrongs to be righted ... and his own inner peace. With a revolver and a double-barreled shotgun at the ready, Yuma is more than a match for anyone who crosses his path. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).


photo for Requiescant Requiescant (1967) Directed by Carlo Lizzani ("Wake Up and Kill," "The Hills Run Red"), "Requiescant" -- Latin for "Rest in Peace" -- ranks among the finest Spaghetti Westerns. Alex Cox named it the "one film to prove that the Italian Western was not solely Sergio Leone's." Lou Castel plays a young man who was raised to be a pacifist by a travelling preacher after Confederates massacred his family. But when his step-sister runs away, the pursuit reveals he has a natural talent as a sharpshooter -- leading him to a bloody and unexpected confrontation with his past. Joining Castel are Mark Damon as the sadistic aristocratic villain, Franco Citti as his henchman, and the great Italian filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini in a rare acting role as a revolutionary priest. In a new 2K restoration of the film from the original camera negative, with optional English and Italian soundtracks in uncompressed PCM mono audio. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: New interview with Lou Castel, recorded exclusively for this release; archive interview with director Carlo Lizzani; theatrical trailer; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Gilles Vranckx; illustrated collector's booklet containing new writing on the film by Pasquale Iannone. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).

Santa's Little Helper (2014) WWE superstar Mike "The Miz" Mizanin, WWE Diva Paige, AnnaLynne McCord. After losing his job, a slick-talking businessman is given the chance of a lifetime -- to be Santa's second-in-command. But to earn the coveted position, he'll have to wage an outrageous battle against a scheming elf who wants the gig for herself. Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: Three behind-the-scenes featurettes. (Fox).

photo for Sgt. Bilko/The Phil Silvers Show: The Final Season Sgt. Bilko/The Phil Silvers Show: The Final Season (1958-59) Five-disc set with all 36 episodes from the classic fourth and final season. One of the quintessential classics of television's golden age, this Emmy-winning comedy is filled to the brim with laughs, brought to you by comic genius Phil Silvers in his signature role as Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko. Bilko and his lovable platoon find themselves in for a change in Season 4 when they transfer to California’s Camp Fremont. Of course, Bilko's crazy schemes will continue -- but will Colonel Hall (Paul Ford) have the last laugh? Featuring cameo appearances by some of Hollywood’s biggest superstars, including Dean Martin and Lucille Ball. Formats: DVD. (Shout! Factory).

The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015) Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Olivia Thirlby, Tye Sheridan, Keir Gilchrist, Michael Angarano, Ki Hong Lee, Thomas Mann. What happens when a college psychology study goes shockingly wrong? Based on the notorious true story, the film stars Crudup as Stanford University professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo, who, in 1971, cast 24 student volunteers as prisoners and guards in a simulated jail to examine the source of abusive behavior in the prison system. The results astonished the world, as participants went from middle-class undergrads to drunk-with-power sadists and submissive victims in just a few days. Formats: DVD. (IFC Films).

photo for Stations Of The Elevated Stations of the Elevated (1981) A 45-minute city symphony directed, produced, and edited by Manfred Kirchheimer. Shot on lush 16mm color reversal stock, the film weaves together vivid images of graffitti-covered elevated subway trains crisscrossing the gritty urban landscape of 1970s New York, to a commentary-free soundtrack that combines ambient city noise with jazz and gospel by Charles Mingus and Aretha Franklin. The new restoration was world premiered at BAMcinemaFest this summer. Available as a two-disc, limited edition DVD set (only 500 will be made available). Formats: DVD. Extras: Kirchheimer's "New York Films" collection ("Colossus on the River," "Claw", "Short Circuit," "Bridge High," all newly restored from their original 16mm elements), new interviews, features about NYC and its artists. (Oscilloscope Laboratories).

Swim Little Fish Swim (2014) Dustin Guy Defa, Lola Bessis, Brooke Bloom, Anne Consigny. Maggie? Rainbow? Leeward photo for Swim Little Fish Swim and Mary cannot even agree on their 3-year-old daughter's name anymore. Mary is a hardworking nurse who dreams of only one thing: changing her life. She resents her husband for being an irresponsible, overgrown adolescent, incapable of holding down a job. Leeward is an atypical, idealistic musician who fancies himself a misunderstood artist and a New Age visionary. Enter Lilas, a 19-year-old French artist and the daughter of a world famous painter, who is trying to make it in New York and get away from an overbearing mother. When the bubbly young woman moves into the couple's tiny Chinatown apartment, their already fragile balance is upset even further. Formats: DVD. (IndiePix).

Troll and Troll 2 (1986, 1990) Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: New "The Making of Troll" featuring interviews with director John Carl Buechler, producer Charles Band, writer Ed Naha, composer Richard Band, special effects artists John Vulich and Gino Crognale, visual effects artists Jim Aupperle, James Belhovek, Linda Drake and Kevin Kutchaver; "Troll" "Behind-the-scenes still gallery; "Troll 2" new audio commentary with actors George Hardy and Deborah Reed; theatrical trailers. (Scream Factory).

White of the Eye BLU-RAY DEBUT (1987) David Keith, Cathy Moriarty. In a wealthy and isolated desert community, a sound expert is targeted as the prime suspect of a series of brutal murders of local suburban housewives who were attacked and mutilated in their homes. As he desperately tries to prove his innocence, his young wife starts to uncover mysteries of her own. Formats: Blu-ray/DVD Combo. Extras: New "Into the Vortex" interview with actor Alan Rosenberg, New "Eye of the Detective" interview with actor Art Evans, audio commentary by director Donald Cammell biographer Sam Umland, deleted scenes with commentary by Sam Umland, "Into the White" interview with cinematographer and steadicam operator Larry McConkey, alternate credit sequence, flashback sequences prior to the bleach bypass process. (Scream Factory).

We Are Your Friends (2015) Zac Efron, Emily Ratajkowski, Wes Bentley, Johnny Weston, Shiloh Fernandez, Alex Shaffer. Caught between a forbidden romance and the expectations of his friends, aspiring DJ Cole Carter attempts to find the path in life that leads to fame and fortune. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital, UltraViolet (cloud). Extras: "How Zac Efron Learned to DJ." (Warner).


go back to top




rule


| Home | Resources | Links |


E-mail: mail@onvideo.org
November 24, 2015
(ISSN 1094-3676).

Get the latest DVD release information (free) every Tuesday morning. Subscribe here.

photoPrinter Friendly Version

Last Week's Releases: Tuesday, November 10 -- Monday, November 16