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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
The Boss Baby: Family Business: The Templeton brothers have become adults and drifted away from each other, but a new boss baby with a cutting-edge approach is about to bring them together again - and inspire a new family business in this sequel to 2017's "The Boss Baby." (DVD, Blu-ray release: September 14)
Fear and Loathing in Aspen: The true story of an American band of misfits using establishment rules to challenge establishment rule, "Fear and Loathing in Aspen" is based on author and activist Hunter S. Thompson’s 1970 campaign for Sheriff of Aspen, Colorado, which centered around police reform and environmental justice. Written and directed by Bobby Kennedy III and starring Jay Bulger, Cheryl Hines, Amaryllis Fox and Laird Macintosh. (Digital, VOD)
Jungle Cruise: Seeking an ancient tree with healing abilities, Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) team up for an adventure down the Amazon. Amidst danger and supernatural forces lurking in the jungle, secrets of the lost tree unfold as their fate – and mankind’s – hangs in the balance. (DVD, Blu-ray release: November 16)
Steel Song: Documentary intimately follows the lives of women who fight in an extreme and full-contact sport, Medieval Armored Combat. (Digital, VOD)
12 Mighty Orphans: Haunted by his mysterious past, a devoted high school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the state championship during the Great Depression and inspires a broken nation along the way. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & date)
A Wake: LGBTQ family drama follows a religious family as they gather to mourn the loss of one of their own, resulting in a clash between the children and parents, and revelations that will shake them all to their cores. (iTunes/Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, Vudu; DVD release: Day & date)
The Gateway: A down-on-his-luck social worker finds himself in over his head when he tries to protect his client from her recently paroled husband, and save the family from the violent threat of the maniacal drug dealer and his crew. (DVD, Blu-ray release: September 7)
Space Jam: A New Legacy: In this live-action/animated remake, a rogue artificial intelligence kidnaps the son of famed basketball player LeBron James, who then has to work with Bugs Bunny and the Looney Tunes to win a basketball game. (DVD, Blu-ray release: October 5)
Ted Bundy: American Boogeyman: Set in a gritty and decadent 1970s America, the film follows elusive and charming killer Ted Bundy and the manhunt that brought him to justice, involving the detective and the FBI rookie who coined the phrase “serial killer.” (Digital)
Beasts of No Nation
(2015 -- Ghana) The nightmare of war is seen through the eyes of one of its most tragic casualties -- a child soldier -- in this harrowing vision of innocence lost from Cary Joji Fukunaga. Based on the acclaimed novel by Uzodinma Iweala, "Beasts of No Nation" unfolds in an unnamed, civil-war-torn West African country, where the young Agu (Abraham Attah, in a haunting debut performance) witnesses carnage in his village before falling captive to a band of rebel soldiers led by a ruthless commander (an explosive Idris Elba), who molds the boy into a hardened killer. Fukunaga’s relentlessly roving camera work and stunning visuals -- realism so intensely visceral it borders on the surreal -- immerse the viewer in a world of unimaginable horror without ever losing sight of the powerful human story at its center. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, with 2K digital master, approved by director Cary Joji Fukunaga, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray. Extras: New audio commentary featuring Fukunaga and first assistant director Jon Mallard; two new documentaries on the development and making of the film, featuring interviews with Fukunaga, author Uzodinma Iweala, actors Idris Elba and Abraham Attah, and producers Amy Kaufman, Daniela Taplin Lundberg, and Riva Marker; new conversation between Fukunaga and producer and cultural commentator Franklin Leonard; new interview with costume designer Jenny Eagan; trailer; an essay by film critic Robert Daniels. (The Criterion Collection).
Blue Bloods: The Eleventh Season
(2020-21) Four-disc set with all 11 episodes of the series that follows the Reagans, an Irish-American Catholic family in New York City with a history of work in law enforcement. Starring Tom Selleck as NYC Police Commissioner Frank Reagan, the cast also includes Donnie Wahlberg, Bridget Moynahan, Will Estes, and Len Cariou. Shot on location in New York City. Formats: DVD. (CBS/Paramount).
The Brotherhood of Satan
(1971) A small rural town and a family of outsiders, both trapped in the demonic grip of ... The Brotherhood of Satan. Recently widowed Ben, his glamourous girlfriend Nicky and his small daughter K.T. are on a road trip across the Southwest, which comes to a screeching halt when they witness an accident. Heading to the nearby isolated desert town of Hillsboro to report it to the Sheriff (L.Q. Jones), they are met with a hostile reaction from the locals, who are gripped by paranoia and fear due to a series of gruesome deaths, as well as the mysterious disappearance of 11 of the community's children. As the bodies continue to pile up around them, Ben and his family find themselves joining the sheriff, a local priest and the town's enigmatic physician Doc Duncan (Strother Martin) in the midst of a mystery that points towards a deadly satanic cult. Produced by Alvy Moore and L.Q. Jones, a veteran character actor best known for his work with Sam Peckinpah, "The Brotherhood of Satan" is an atmospheric and chilling tale of terror that provides a crucial missing link between "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) and "The Devil's Rain" (1975) in the cycle of turn-of-the-seventies shockers involving sinister devil-worshipping cults lurking within the dark shadows of modern-day America. Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: New audio commentary by writers Kim Newman and Sean Hogan; "Satanic Panic: How the 1970s Conjured the Brotherhood of Satan," a new visual essay by David Flint; "The Children of Satan," exclusive new interview with actors Jonathan Erickson Eisley and Alyson Moore; original trailers and TV and radio spots; image gallery; reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Richard Wells; FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated booklet featuring new writing by Johnny Mains and Brad Stevens. (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
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Bugsy Malone BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1976) Acclaimed director Alan Parker redefined the movie musical with his first feature-length film, "Bugsy Malone," which celebrates its 45th anniversary this year. Available for the first time in the U.S. on Blu-ray, the film has been remastered from the original elements for this limited-edition release. The Blu-ray includes a new Filmmaker Focus delving into this early work from the director of "Fame," "The Commitments," "Pink Floyd: The Wall," "Mississippi Burning" and "Evita." Set in 1929 New York City, the film captures a flashy world of would-be hoodlums, showgirls, and dreamers -- all portrayed by child actors. As Tallulah, the sassy girlfriend of the owner of Fat Sam's Grand Slam Speakeasy, future superstar Jodie Foster leads a talented cast. Parker’s sharp script, combined with the music and lyrics of Paul Williams, makes for an irresistible satire that’s truly one-of-a-kind. The limited-edition Paramount Presents Blu-rays come in collectible packaging featuring a foldout image of each film’s theatrical poster and an interior spread with key movie moments. Each disc also includes access to a digital copy of the film.
(Paramount Presents).
Dune [Limited Edition}
(1984) Following a notorious aborted attempt by Alejandro Jodorowsky in the 1970s, Frank Herbert's bestselling sci-fi epic "Dune" finally made it to the big screen as the third film by emerging surrealist wunderkind David Lynch, featuring an all-star cast that includes several of Lynch's regular collaborators. The year is 10,191, and four planets are embroiled in a secret plot to wrest control of the Spice Melange, the most precious substance in the universe and found only on the planet Arrakis. A feud between two powerful dynasties, House Atreides and House Harkonnen, is manipulated from afar by ruling powers that conspire to keep their grip on the spice. As the two families clash on Arrakis, Duke Atreides' son Paul (Kyle MacLachlan, in his screen debut) finds himself at the center of an intergalactic war and an ancient prophecy that could change the galaxy forever. Though its initial reception ensured that Lynch largely eschewed mainstream filmmaking for the rest of his career, "Dune" has since been rightly re-evaluated as one of the most startlingly original and visionary science fiction films of the 1980s. Its astonishing production design and visual effects can now be appreciated anew in this spellbinding 4K restoration, accompanied by hours of comprehensive bonus features. Brand new 4K restoration from the original camera negative. 60-page perfect-bound book featuring new writing on the film by Andrew Nette, Christian McCrea and Charlie Brigden; large fold-out double-sided poster featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dániel Taylor; six double-sided, postcard-sized lobby card reproductions; limited edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Dániel Taylor; commentaries; featurettes; interviews. Formats: 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray. Extras: (Arrow Video/MVD Entertainment).
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In the Heights
(2021) Anthony Ramos, Corey Hawkins, Leslie Grace, Melissa Barrera, Olga Merediz, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Gregory Diaz IV, Stephanie Beatriz, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Dascha Polanco, Jimmy Smits, Ariana Greenblatt, Marc Anthony. A film version of the Broadway musical (by Lin-Manuel Miranda) in which Usnavi, a sympathetic New York bodega owner, saves every penny every day as he imagines and sings about a better life. Formats: DVD + Digital Code, Blu-ray + Digital Code, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo + Digital Code, VOD, Digital. (Warners).
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The Last Man on Earth BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1964) Vincent Price, Franca Bettola, Emma Danieli, Giacomo Rossi, Umbert Raho, Christi Courtland. Screen legend Vincent Price gives a masterful performance in this post-apocalyptic sci-fi chiller, the first and most faithful adaptation of Richard Matheson’s classic novel "I Am Legend." A plague envelops the earth, decimating the population and leaving one man still alive: scientist Robert Morgan (Price), who exhibits a strange immunity to the deadly disease. The rest of the earth’s people slowly turn into bloodsucking vampires and Morgan must use all of his knowledge to survive their onslaught. Directed by Sidney Salkow, this seminal classic influenced the creation of "Night of the Living Dead" plus countless imitations.
Formats: Blu-ray. Extras: New audio commentary by Richard Harland Smith, "Trailers From Hell" with Joe Dante, "Richard Matheson Storyteller," two TV spots, alternate ending, Italian trailer. (Kino Lorber Studio Classics).
Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms
(2021) The fate of the universe once again hangs in the balance as warriors come together for one final clash in this all-new, feature-length animated film. This episode picks up shortly after the explosive finale of "Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge"; here the team of heroes are besieged by the enemy forces of Shao Kahn -- forcing Raiden and his group of warriors into a deal to compete in a final Mortal Kombat that will determine the fate of the realms. Now the heroes must travel to Outworld in order to defend Earthrealm and, simultaneously, Scorpion must find the ancient Kamidogu before it's used to resurrect the One Being – which would mean certain destruction of all things in the universe. Formats: Blu-ray, 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo, Digital. Extras: "The God and the Dragon: Battling For Earthrealm" featurette, "Voices of Kombat" featurette, "Kombat Gags" gag reel, commentary. (Warner).
NCIS: New Orleans: The Final Season & The Complete Series
(2020-21) All 16 episodes of the seventh and final season. The 7th season of NCIS: NEW ORLEANS finds Pride (Scott Bakula) and the team fighting for justice in their beloved city as New Orleans grapples with the effects of COVID-19. Pride, seeing how the pandemic has overwhelmed the system, finds creative ways to help his neighbors with the assistance of Rita Devereaux (Chelsea Field), and is asked by the Mayor to be a part of a special task force assigned to help make actual change in their city. Also, Wade (CCH Pounder) is overwhelmed by the high volume in the morgue due to COVID-19, Hannah (Necar Zadegan) shoulders being separated from her daughter, and Tammy (Vanessa Ferlito) and Carter (Charles Michael Davis) investigate a suspicious death aboard a humanitarian ship offshore, where they learn that some crew members are infected with the deadly virus. Formats: DVD. (CBS/Paramount).
Summer of 85
(2020 -- France) From one of France’s most prolific and versatile filmmakers, François Ozon ("Potiche," "Frantz," "Swimming Pool"), comes this acclaimed reverie on first love and the impassioned influence it holds over those who experience it. It’s based the landmark 1982 LGBT young adult novel "Dance on My Grave" by British author Aidan Chambers. When Alexis (Félix Lefebvre) capsizes off the coast of Normandy, David (Benjamin Voisin) comes to the rescue and soon opens the younger boy’s eyes to a new horizon of friendship, art and sexual bliss. David’s worldly demeanor and Jewish heritage deliver a jolt to Alexis’s traditional, working class upbringing. Their relationship is soon rocked by a host of challenges, including an unexpected sexual rival (Philippine Velge) and a romantic oath that transcends life itself.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Music Box Films). Read more here.
Three Men to Kill: Two Newly Restored Films By Jacques Deray
The Gang (1977 -- France): In 1945, as World War II comes to a close, five small time crooks unite to form a gang lead by the charismatic Alain Delon. After several bold robberies they become notorious as “the front-wheel drive gang.” The police attempt to stop their crime spree with little success, but how long will their luck last? Three Men to Kill (1980 -- France): In this Gritty, violent and suspenseful thriller, Delon plays Gerfaut who comes to the aid of a man laying wounded in the road, not knowing the man has taken two bullets to the belly. Soon he becomes the target for the killers, who see him as a dangerous witness. But Gerfaut has been around the block a couple of times and he won’t be so easily eliminated.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Cohen Film Collection).
Truth to Power
(2021) Millions fill stadiums across the world for the sound of Serj Tankian, the Grammy-winning lead singer of System of a Down. With exclusive interviews, adventures, and original footage personally filmed by Serj, this documentary allows audiences backstage access to an international rock star whose faith in music not only revolutionized heavy metal, but also world events. Throughout his life, the musician has pursued social justice, harnessing the power of his songs and celebrity for real political change. Serj’s voice is equally likely to take on American corporate greed as lambast the corrupt regime of his homeland. His decades-long campaign for formal U.S. recognition of the Armenian Genocide was finally approved by Congress in 2019. Governments hate him. People love him. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Oscilloscope Laboratories).
12 Mighty Orphans
(2021) Luke Wilson, Vinessa Shaw, Wayne Knight, Jake Austin Walker, Jacob Lofland, Levi Dylan, Robert Duvall, Martin Sheen. Haunted by his mysterious past, a devoted high school football coach leads a scrawny team of orphans to the state championship during the Great Depression and inspires a broken nation along the way. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. Extras: Deleted scenes. (Sony).
Read more here.
A Wake
(2021) Noah Urrea, Kolton Stewart, Sofia Rosinsky, Megan Trout. LGBTQ family drama follows a religious family as they gather to mourn the loss of one of their own, resulting in a clash between the children and parents, and revelations that will shake them all to their cores.
Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Breaking Glass Pictures). Read more here.
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