Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

1989’s “We’re No Angels” is a semi-remake of a 1955 Michael Curtiz film, starring Humphrey Bogart. The original picture was a comedy, trying to have a little fun with its central premise of escaped convicts hoping to maintain a low profile as they make their way to freedom, getting caught up in the lives of others. The reworking is written by David Mamet and directed by Neil Jordan, and they don’t really settle on any particular tone for the feature, while comedic intent is often hard to discern. “We’re No Angels” boasts an impressive production design effort from Wolf Kroeger (who replicates his town-building achievement from 1980’s “Popeye”) and cinematography from Philippe Rousselot is stellar, but the movie, as gorgeous as it is, doesn’t quite work. There are a lot of ideas and performances in the mix, but the endeavor doesn’t follow through on most of them, resulting in a frustrating viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

An adaptation of a book by Stephen King, 1976’s “Carrie” turned horror activity and teen misery into a tale of bullying and revenge. The release launched many acting careers, including star Sissy Spacek, and it elevated director Brian De Palma’s status in the industry, giving him a needed hit to maintain professional momentum. The picture, while containing a stinger ending, was a complete story, not requiring a follow-up, but that’s never stopped Hollywood before, and they return to the brand name in 1999’s “The Rage: Carrie 2,” which tries hard to be a sequel to the 1976 endeavor, but transforms into more of a remake. Director Katt Shea (“Stripped to Kill”) and screenwriter Rafael Moreu (“Hackers”) are tasked with reviving the “Carrie” way, but it’s mostly a losing proposition, and “The Rage: Carrie 2” visibly struggles to balance a story of high school hell and bloody horror, coming off too silly as the production struggles to maintain the interest of its target demographic. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Steve Hanft is arguably best known as the director of the “Loser” music video, helping to bring the musical stylings of Beck to the masses. The clip managed to dominate MTV and win Hanft some awards, highlighting his decidedly low-wattage style and love of inscrutable imagery. Before such media attention was found, Hanft was just another young filmmaker with a dream, working with ambition to create a feature-length display of his media interests. 1994’s “Kill the Moonlight” is the fruit of such passion, offering viewers a chance to experience slacker cinema the way it was, delivering a tale of desperation concerning a young man who needs money to race cars, but holds few financial options to generate needed cash. Hanft doesn’t have much here beyond California locations and a few actors, going the no-budget route with an aimless tale of desperation. There’s very era-specific moviemaking on display, but expectations for a more flavorful dramatic experience should be readjusted, as the helmer has little to work with, and he’s determined to keep it that way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Slaxx” is about a killer pair of jeans. Of course, there’s more to the feature than that, which may surprise some viewers settling in for a weird slasher film set inside a clothing store. Co-writer/director Elza Kephart hopes to attract attention with her oddball premise, which joins equally strange inspirations for horror entertainment (e.g. “Rubber,” “Death Bed: The Bed That Eats”), and she delivers all sorts of bloody violence with the endeavor, looking to keep up with audience demands for this type of B-movie escapism. “Slaxx” does well with the little it has, but it aims for a different type of awareness overall, gradually replacing silliness with a more sobering assessment of business ethics, adding some thought-provoking material to the effort’s satirical interests. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Created by Stephen Colbert, Paul Dinello, Mitch Rouse, and Amy Sedaris, “Strangers with Candy” was originally a television series that ran for three seasons on Comedy Central, ending in 2000. The show followed the adventures of Jerry, a former sex worker and addict, who elects to return to high school as a 46-year-old woman, using her prison instincts to help navigate a new world of challenges from staff and students. It was a cult program that never attracted much mainstream attention, but it developed a loyal audience, and perhaps one that was deeply saddened by the eventual cancellation of the series. 2006’s “Strangers with Candy” is a feature-film revival of the show, putting star Amy Sedaris back in charge as Jerri, with the endeavor going the prequel route, detailing how the character moved from the big house to high school hallways. Directed by Dinello, and scripted by Sedaris, Colbert, and Dinello, “Strangers with Candy” is an amusing ride with a new R-rated upgrade, though there’s definitely a limit when it comes to the appeal of the material’s zaniness. Even with a short run time, the movie can feel a little long, especially when it pursues weaker subplots and ideas. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Alexis Langlois makes their feature-length directorial debut with “Queens of Drama,” and they’re not taking the assignment lightly. While working with a small budget, the filmmaker is aiming to make every moment count in the movie, which is an operatic take on the grind of fame, pop music, and relationships, playing around with the details of Britney Spears’s life. Langlois goes artful and campy in the endeavor, and they ask a lot of viewers by pushing the run time to nearly two hours of excess. However, “Queens of Drama” is creatively made and certainly committed to the cause, supported by Langlois’s hyper-specific vision for the picture, which retains a defined creative fingerprint. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2021, cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of “Rust,” shot with a loaded weapon in a horrible accident that sent shockwaves throughout the film industry. There’s been headline news, lawsuits, and even a crude documentary released just month (“Last Take”), and now, surprisingly, there’s an actual feature. Cast and crew set out to complete the movie years after Hutchins’s death, a production push eerily reminiscent of 1994’s “The Crow,” which also carried on after a tragic loss. Now a completed picture, “Rust” makes it to release, hoping to offer cinematic artistry and a thought-provoking story, as writer/director Joel Souza endeavors to realize his vision for a decidedly “Unforgiven”-esque tale of violence and the corrosive effects of such living on those who choose darkness. There are obvious challenges when watching the effort, especially getting past its real- world horror, but Souza also doesn’t make a very compelling offering, taking an exceptionally long time (140 minutes) to stew in mental illness, which doesn’t hold much dramatic power. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Holly Woodlawn is best known as a Warhol Superstar, making a name for herself with acting assignments in 1970’s “Trash” and 1971’s “Women in Revolt.” 1972’s “Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers” plays like a career move from the actress, who goes from Warhol’s control to her own starring vehicle in the picture, handed ample opportunity to display screen charms and comedic timing. Director Robert J. Kaplan doesn’t really have a complete film with “Scarecrow in a Garden of Cucumbers,” but there’s a lively cast ready to play with behavioral weirdness and New York City eccentricity in the endeavor, which gets as far as possible on oddity and extremity before it starts to feel borderline incomplete. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Primarily known and beloved for their works of big screen fantasy, Studio Ghibli reaches into the darkness of history in 1988’s “Grave of the Fireflies,” supporting writer/director Isao Takahata in his effort to adapt a short story from author Akiyuki Nosaka. Danger is painfully real in this World War II tale, which examines the desperation of a teenager attempting to navigate the horrors of bombings and rationings in Japan while trying to keep his little sister alive during the final stretch of global conflict. Takahata doesn’t go completely merciless with the endeavor, but he doesn’t ignore struggles and suffering, striving to remain delicate as the tale explores death and despair. “Grave of the Fireflies” is elegantly made and beautifully animated, handling extremity with some sense of taste, putting Takahata on a quest to define emotions and memories as he handles the unimaginable violence of the situation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1973’s “Charley One-Eye” is billed as a western, but it really resembles more of a play, focusing on an unusual relationship between an outlaw and a Native American stuck together in the middle of a Mexican desert. Screenwriter Keith Leonard isn’t reaching for much thematically or dramatically, preferring to remain on this developing partnership as it endures long stretches of travel and trust challenges. The features stays on the men as they work out communication, touching on elements of racism and denial along the way, but Leonard is in no hurry to introduce escalation to the endeavor, and it shows. “Charley One-Eye” is a bit of a patience-tester, as director Don Chaffey goes slow with the tale, which fails to build tension and personality as it goes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Rule of Jenny Pen” is an adaptation of a short story by author Owen Marshall, giving screenwriters Eli Kent and James Ashcroft (who also directs) a challenge to expand a tale that’s explored in a limited location, following a small number of characters. It’s a study of insanity in many ways, also taking on the indignity of aging, but Ashcroft is ultimately after something sinister in the material, which sinks into the muddiness of senior care nightmares. “The Rule of Jenny Pen” is a memorable offering of torment, watching the helmer work very hard to generate a visual experience with the film, exploring unreality and the confines of the central location. He’s blessed with a tremendous cast as well, as stars Geoffrey Rush and John Lithgow absolutely sink their teeth into their roles, clearly embracing the wild sense of torture the material develops throughout. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Before they entered the “Scream” zone in 2022, making two sequels for the popular slasher franchise, director Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (a.k.a. Radio Silence) scored a minor success with 2019’s “Ready or Not.” The bloody take on hide and seek was a creative highlight for the helmers, who offered a somewhat fast and funny study of survival. Instead of taking a creative step forward after spending years in Ghostface Country, Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett are back with another small-scale battleground endeavor in “Abigail,” which, in many ways, resembles “Ready or Not.” Another offering of scary stuff and funny business, “Abigail” has more difficulty finding its tone, struggling with a weaker ensemble and editorial indecision, making for a longer sit with a fairly thin idea for a big screen bloodbath. It’s fun at times, with a charging opening act, but Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett don’t know when to quit with the effort, which slows down as it unfolds. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1971’s “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” is an atmospheric horror film from co-writer/director John D. Hancock (“Bang the Drum Slowly,” “California Dreaming”), who’s searches for ways to keep the picture mysterious and spooky. It’s an admirable attempt to go for a different level of chills, working with technical elements and a semi-improvisational dramatic approach to keep things interesting in a genre that often struggles to provide originality. The actual fear factor of the effort is certainly up for debate, along with its storytelling choices, of which there are few to follow. “Let’s Scare Jessica to Death” (an eye-catching title for sure, but it doesn’t represent the actual tale being sold here) isn’t a commanding genre offering, going a bit more delicate with its understanding of mental illness, though Hancock isn’t completely committed to anything in this semi-tedious, passably interesting feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1988’s “Iron Angels II” tried to take the series into a more dramatic direction. The writing wanted tragic events and torturous betrayals, struggling to mix the inherent weirdness of the franchise with relationship darkness, aiming to become a more emotional viewing experience. With all of that out of writer/director Teresa Woo’s system, 1989’s “Iron Angels III” is out to retain a fun factor for the brand name, finding action the name of the game here, escalating conflicts and fight scenarios as Woo hopes to make her own James Bond movie with the offering. Storytelling has never been a priority for the producers, and the second sequel is perhaps the loosest installment in terms of plot and stakes, as the helmer submits a half-baked study of international terrorism to propel the mayhem, dealing with the broadness of screen villainy to successfully launch another adventure for the Angel Organization and their tireless fight to stop the spread of evil. “Iron Angels III” is very entertaining, with welcome emphasis on physical activity, but there’s not much more to the viewing experience than basic brawling and superspy feats of heroism. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When we last left the Angel Organization, they elected to declare war against criminal operation Golden Triangle, facing certain doom as the team battled their way to victory against a most determined opponent. All was well, but work in the superspy business is never truly completed, and the agents (well, most of them) are back in 1988’s “Iron Angels II,” which returns to the furious action ways of the franchise, only now there’s defined interest in pursuing a dramatic tone from co-director/writer Teresa Woo. The battle for justice takes a trip to Malaysia this time around, and the change in scenery helps the endeavor, adding bits of culture and a lot more jungle to the sequel, which trades drug world activity for political revolution. Woo gets somewhat ambitious with “Iron Angels II,” but doesn’t manage to craft an improvement on the 1997 movie, dialing down the general fury of the picture to invest in character. It’s a laudable effort, but it doesn’t always connect as intended. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987’s “Iron Angels” doesn’t share lofty dramatic goals, served up as a “Charlie’s Angels” riff where action dominates as war is declared between organized crime and law enforcement officials. Credited to three directors, the picture isn’t entirely interested in selling a major study of heroism and conflict, adding just enough trouble for the characters to sustain the pursuit of their goals, sold with Hong Kong-style physical ferocity. “Iron Angels” does well with its straightforward take on good vs. evil, mostly of use to viewers who enjoy blasts of stunt work and askew character business, which gets a little dizzying at times in this enjoyable feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Films based on books from iconic author Stephen King inspired box office business in the 1980s, and grew into something more respectable in the 1990s, once Kathy Bates took home an Oscar for her role in 1990’s “Misery.” 1993’s “The Dark Half” is part of this second wave of interest in King’s output, putting writer/director George A. Romeo to work on a story about writer duality and danger, tasked with balancing the horror elements of the tale and its periodically intimate psychology. The picture has its grisly moments, but it mostly connects as a study of King’s own struggles as an author, playing with his pen name past and elements of the publishing world. Romero’s not known for nuance, but he does a respectable job with “The Dark Half,” at least during its opening half, which is more invested in a compelling mystery concerning an author’s break from reality. The rest of the offering isn’t as involving as Romero attempts to satisfy genre fans and find a way out of a complicated premise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Kenneth Gordon Polsjek was a boy with a dream. He grew up in the “slums” of Montreal, handling poverty and an aborted education, forced into maturity to make a living at a young age. Kenneth was drawn to spectacle, and was soon reborn as “Ken Carter,” setting out to create a career on the daredevil circuit during the 1970s. He was a man driven to success and to entertain, embracing his growing status as a fearless star in the stunt world, always hunting for his next event. 1981’s “The Devil at Your Heels” is a documentary about Carter’s quest for the impossible, with director Robert Fortier following the “Mad Canadian” for five years, capturing the development of a mile-long jet car jump as its challenged by all kinds of setbacks and delays. Carter is a character, and “The Devil at Your Heels” is an interesting, but slowly paced understanding of his drive to find publicity and fame, taking his act to the extreme to secure his place as the number one stunt driver in the world. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

We don’t see many of these anymore. Screenwriters Mike Benner, Jared Logan, and Charles A. Pieper look to raise a little hell with “Destroy All Neighbors,” which is a strange blast of violence and dark comedy, with heavy emphasis on madness and makeup effects. Director Josh Forbes (“Contracted: Phase II”) is in charge of this cinematic circus, and his job is to find some level of tonal stability to help viewers get into the mood of the endeavor, which isn’t afraid to go just about anywhere with its macabre visuals. “Destroy All Neighbors” is meant to be a roaring good time with practical effects and screen craziness, and it definitely has inspired moments of insanity. The picture as a whole is a little too much to endure at times, but creativity is plentiful and humor remains intact in this exploration of overkill. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A summer camp setting and horror. It’s a combination that’s created a lot of memorable genre entertainment over the last 45 years, inspiring filmmakers to keep returning to the blend of innocence and aggression to support their low-budget endeavors. Co-writers/co-directors Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk try their luck with slasher cinema in “Hell of a Summer,” bringing a new generation into the woods for a survival challenge, only this round is a bit more comedic than I’m sure many viewers will expect. In fact, cheekiness tends to dominate the offering, as Wolfhard and Bryk maintain a weird distance from frights in their scary movie, which is loosely scripted, not terribly interested in being anything more than a mild goof. “Hell of a Summer” (shot three years ago) has the ingredients for at least a passable slaughterama, but there’s no dominating nightmare to follow in the picture, which is inspired by serious horror features. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com