Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

"Longlegs" is the fourth film from Osgood Perkins (son of actor Anthony Perkins), and it remains firmly in line with the rest of his oeuvre, including his last endeavor, 2020's "Gretel & Hansel." Osgood has a very specific way of making movies, and he's not in the mood to deviate from his obsessions, with his latest another descent into slow-burn horror with careful compositions, aiming to generate a nightmare visually without much of a story to back up what's meant to be creeping intensity. "Longlegs" is more of the same from Perkins, with this odyssey into evil not dense enough to overwhelm audiences, finding the screenplay offering limited darkness and lukewarm mystery before it eventually reveals itself, and what's here is…a bit goofy. It's also the rare picture that doesn't benefit from the presence of Nicolas Cage, who appears in a small role, bringing his usual eccentricity with him, and it manages to make something that's desperate to disturb into something that's hard to take seriously, finding Perkins in no hurry to restrain what's become expected broadness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1936's "Reefer Madness" is generally considered the gold standard of anti-drug exploitation films, with its melodrama and behavioral extremity helping the picture work past its serious intent to become an unintentional comedy classic. 1968's "Blonde on a Bum Trip" isn't nearly as entertaining, but it also attempts to explore the dark side of experimentation, with director Raf Mauro trying to ride drug trends of the decade, creating a study of manipulation that turns into a night of murder. Or whatever. The events in the movie aren't terribly clear, which is both a highlight and lowlight of the endeavor, as Mauro is basically forcing a crime story on what appears to be random footage he's collected. Technical finesse isn't welcome to this party, with "Blonde on a Bum Trip" slapdash and goofy. However, there's fun to be had if you're looking for it, as the effort captures the weirdness of the 1960s and its ragtag cinematic pursuits, watching Mauro try to piece together something coherent for a young audience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Mothers' Instinct" is a remake of a 2018 French film from director Olivier Masset-Depasse, which was an adaptation of a 2012 novel by author Barabra Abel. Screenwriter Sarah Conradt is tasked with reviving the material for an American remake, and helming duties are handed to Benoit Delhomme. The respected cinematographer ("The Theory of Everything," "The Scent of Green Papaya") makes his directorial debut with "Mothers' Instinct," facing a creative challenge with familiar material to some, trying to refresh a story that's largely dependent on maintaining a level of surprise. There's a lot going on in the feature, which carries the mood of melodrama but slowly turns into something else, and Delhomme has game actresses in Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway, who bring a fine level of itchiness to the movie. The talent brings the endeavor to life, maintaining an appealing atmosphere of disturbing behavior as the story goes to strange places, but not always with confidence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There are no deleted scenes in adult film production, only opportunities for new features. Recycling is the general theme of 1979's "The Little Blue Box," which is a blend of new footage trying to build a story around older footage from other cinematic endeavors. What director Don Walters offers here isn't a crude stitch job, but a movie that's decently imagined, finding a reasonably organic way to blend all sorts of lustful encounters, doing so with a winning performance from star Jennifer Welles, who portrays two different characters caught up in the lure of television magic. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Annie" mania quickly took over the world in the late 1970s, with the Broadway show becoming a staple of musical theater, capturing viewer hearts with its warm study of family love and kid-sized moxie. And you can bet your bottom dollar that the adult film industry was going to have some interest in working with that kind of publicity. 1977's "Little Orphan Sammy" is more of a play on the original comic strip version of "Annie," with director Don Walters trying to replicate the bold colors and bigness of emotion that's typically found on the page, going wild with the tale of an orphaned man sent out into the world, generally unaware he's in the middle of an evil plot to steal energy secrets. It's the 1930s and the '70s smashed into one strange comedy that almost doesn't have interest in creating carnal activity. "Little Orphan Sammy" is certainly entertaining, with the cast grasping the heightened tone of the material, delivering enthusiastic performances. The feature gets a tad exhausting as it attempts to monitor the action of multiple characters, but the overall anarchy of the endeavor is something to see. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Scripted by Donald E. Westlake, 1987's "The Stepfather" has a classic set-up for suspense, analyzing the ways of a serial killer as he tries to balance delusion with bloodlust while playing the part of a perfect dad. Based on a real case of domestic horror, the feature elects to go more of a Hollywood route, playing into the trends of the decade as slasher business and exploitation bits compete for screen time with a competent psychological chiller. "The Stepfather" has the benefit of being more concerned with human elements than the usual B-movie, helped along by some terrific performances and a sharp sense of escalation from Westlake, who gives director Joseph Ruben (who would go on to refine his genre work on 1991's "Sleeping with the Enemy") plenty of madness to handle as a seemingly idyllic domestic experience worsens for a deranged individual. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The perils of masculinity largely drive the action of 1989's "Hell's Trap," with men making terrible errors in judgment in the name of dominance. Director Pedro Galindo III ("Vacation of Terror II") aims for frights, but he also arranges something of a survival picture, teasing elements of "Rambo" to accompany the slasher film formula. The Mexican production is a low-budget affair, with most of the tale taking place in the woods, and while excitement is limited, the movie has some enthusiasm to offer. "Hell's Trap" is short (76 minutes), which helps, as the general backyard production vibe only connects during a few scenes, though the helmer has some assistance from the cast, with young performers eagerly participating in the tale of human hunting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1978's "Woman in Love: A Story of Madame Bovary" is a take on the classic 1857 novel by Gustave Flaubert. The source material is used to inspire an adult cinema version of desire and disruption, following the passions of a woman who wants to experience everything as she moves from lover to lover. Director Kemal Horulu tries to turn the endeavor into a classy take on betrayal, employing a large cast and mining some dark emotions as he also tends to the needs of carnal activity. It's a somewhat strange mix of melodrama and heat, but it's varied enough to engage, providing opportunities for the actors to handle conflict and bedroom activity in a semi-consistent feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Late Night with the Devil" returns viewers to the ways of television talk shows in the 1970s, where looser standards for constant audience engagement meant that wild situations could develop. With horror fanatics typically favoring a younger demographic, it'll be interesting to see if there's an audience for the feature, which uses the conventions of network television programming from 50 years ago to serve as inspiration for a demonic possession film. Writer/directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes ("100 Bloody Acres," "Scare Campaign") have the right idea for what's technically a found footage endeavor, creating a special evening of surprise for the host of the show, "Night Owls." "Late Night with the Devil" visibly battles to come up with stuff to do to fill 90 minutes of screen time, but the helmers deliver effective atmosphere for the effort, which periodically scores with T.V. replication and visits to the dark side. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For his screenwriting debut, Robert Benton made waves with his work on 1967's "Bonnie and Clyde," going deep into psychology, relationships, and violence to help detail the recklessness of criminals on the run. For his directorial debut, Benton sticks with the formula for 1972's "Bad Company," which also explores troubled people trying to escape from all sorts of dangers. Going the western route, Benton (joined by "Bonnie and Clyde" collaborator David Newman) looks to explore the ways of survival and perceived freedom in the open world, using the pressurized experience of the Civil War to examine men on the move to a better life, not fully realizing the dangers and labor of such a vision. In a career that would eventually turn to more defined acts of dramatic engagement (including "Kramer vs. Kramer" and "Places in the Heart"), Benton shows some level of grit and surprise with "Bad Company," which is always interested in the impulsive ways of inexperienced men taking on an incredible challenge of self-preservation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As a British comedian, Kenny Everett offered silliness and sauciness to his audience, working to push a few boundaries on television. Offered a chance to bring his sense of humor to the big screen, and Everett surprisingly doesn't make a sex comedy, instead looking to pants horror happenings in 1984's "Bloodbath at the House of Death." It's not exactly ambitious work, but screenwriters Barry Cryer and Ray Cameron (who also directs) get a little strange with the tone of the endeavor, which plays extremely goofy at times, but also contains a few vivid scenes of slaughter. The movie doesn't really know what it wants to be, but there are a few laughs scattered around the picture, and Everett is absolutely working hard to please, going big in a feature that's most enjoyable at its wackiest. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Sometimes, when Hollywood won't take action, you just have to do it yourself. 1991's "Way Bad Stone" is a shot-on-video production that attempts to replicate parts of the "Dungeons & Dragons" experience, with director Archie Waugh looking to sustain the sword and sorcery subgenre with this tale of magic and battling. Instead of finding exotic locations to help set the mood, Waugh settles on a forest area in Florida to detail the battle between… well, evil and evil. There's basically no money being spent on the picture, leaving it up to Waugh to sell the enormity the screenplay with help from big performances and bloody acts of violence. "Way Bad Stone" is ambitious, and there's some entertainment value found in the manner the cast tries to locate the spirit of the material, laboring to bring this world to life. It's not a strong feature, losing its way in the final act, but for those who have a high tolerance for SOV efforts and low-budget fantasy, there's a certain charm to the offering. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Didn't we just do this? Earlier this year, there was "Summer Camp," which detailed the experiences of four older woman working on relationships while dealing with a vacation getaway. And now there's "The Fabulous Four," which follows four older women working on relationships while dealing with a vacation getaway. There's some serious déjà vu going on here, but this can all be traced back to the unexpected success of 2018's "Book Club," which found an audience for its sustained mildness and use of seasoned thespians. "The Fabulous Four" looks to drink from the same fountain, offering its target audience more silly shenanigans with capable actresses, but the screenplay (by Jenna Milly and Ann Marie Allison) is relentlessly awful. Hope for sharp humor is lost in the opening moments of the picture, and elements of heart are simply DOA. What's left is a dispiriting collection of sitcom moments that's increasingly dire to watch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Hell hath no fury like a woman prevented from purchasing rural land. That's basically the vibe of 1989's "They Call Me Macho Woman," which pits a seemingly average person against a gang of drug manufacturers in the middle of nowhere. It's a classic set-up for exploitation cinema, but writer/director Patrick G. Donahue doesn't have much finesse when it comes to the actual war between good and evil. However, he does have a stunt team, with the endeavor managing to offer a few slam-bang moments of physical danger, and there's some general oddity when it comes to the creation of tools used to take lives. "They Call Me Macho Woman" is mostly clunky, with Donahue visibly struggling to generate screen danger, but in a B-movie way, there's fun to be had with the effort, which certainly tries to put on a violent show for viewers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Acting as a counterpoint to the Judd Apatow brand of edgy-but-huggable comedy is Jody Hill. The director of "The Foot Fist Way" and a guiding force behind "Eastbound & Down" and "Vice Principals," Hill has built his name through a deployment of toxic absurdity, showcasing his favorite subject: the unholy wrath of the social reject who takes himself seriously. "Observe and Report" presents Hill with his largest cinematic canvas, and while the film doesn't always balance its bizarre mojo with razor-sharp skill, Hill deserves credit for sticking to his morbid vision, submitting an acidic, anarchic layer cake of mental illness with star Seth Rogen doing his best to capture such psychosis. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There's one thing to keep in mind while watching "The Instructor": you're not having a stroke. Remain assured that it's not you having a medical emergency, it's just the 1981 release's almost complete inability to tell a simple story of revenge. It's a martial arts extravaganza from writer/director/co-star Don Bendell, who has a vision for stunt moves and dark displays of crime and punishment, but he's caught working on several ideas for his endeavor, and none of them connect smoothly. "The Instructor" is a wild ride that often makes no sense, reflecting the work of a first- time filmmaker (actually, his only movie) who was in over his head, believing the visual power of karate action would be enough to support the whole effort. Go into this one expecting technical and editorial precision, and the room will start spinning immediately. Accept the ride as it is, and there's some amusement to be found, especially when rough physical confrontations arrive. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Evil comes in many forms, and Hollywood loves to periodically explore the wrath of kids, testing the lure of innocence with horror pictures centered on children committing acts of violence. It's always a dicey prospect, and 1974's "Devil Times Five" (a.k.a. "Peopletoys" and "The Horrible House on the Hill," which is the title on this release) goes a little harder when it comes to grisly moments of viciousness. In a rare change of pace, it's the adults who aren't alright, with "Devil Times Five" exploring the many ways young people seek to destroy old people. While this level of aggression has its B- movie appeal, there's also a different side to the story, examining various acts of emasculation and addiction to dramatically strengthen the feature, which could use all the help it can get. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While he rocketed to superstardom with help from his most famous creation, Borat Sagdiyev, actor Sacha Baron Cohen was initially invested in a different character. Ali G is described as a "faux-streetwise poseur," finding success on "Da Ali G Show," where Cohen would unleash his imagination and great love of uncomfortable comedy. Ali G was the breakout creation, and with television triumph comes cinematic aspirations. Borat would prove to be Cohen's biggest success, but Ali G came first, with 2002's "Ali G Indahouse" attempting to give the "chav" more room to play and a plot to follow, getting away from interview shenanigans that made the T.V. show such a delight. Stripped of improvisational moves, Cohen is forced to stick to a script for the feature, which tries to create a world for Ali G, and opportunities to screw everything up. "Ali G Indahouse" is loaded with customary crudeness from Cohen (who co-scripts with Dan Mazer), and the rigidness of storytelling with this creation is present. However, the effort has many laughs and pleasingly bizarre situations, watching Cohen work hard to sustain the appeal of Ali G, lacking the safety net of seven-minute-long segment run times. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

On paper, 2002's "Death to Smoochy" has it all. It offers a killer premise from screenwriter Adam Resnick ("Cabin Boy"), exploring the extremities of children's television as a battle for power and fame commences between two performers. It has a director in Danny DeVito, who's typically skilled with black comedies, previously scoring with "Throw Momma from the Train" and "The War of the Roses." And there's the participation of Robin Williams, ideally cast as an unhinged man feeling every moment of his professional and personal failure. The package is impressive, but "Death to Smoochy" is a frustrating movie to watch. It's clear DeVito is looking to generate an anarchic viewing experience with this dive into opportunity, corruption, and madness, but laughs are practically nonexistent in the overlong endeavor, which never lives up to its potential as a nasty slice of entertainment business satire. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A documentary on the life and times of William Shatner conjures plenty of expectations, with the actor in command of a colorful existence filled with career highlights and general eccentricity. However, "You Can Call Me Bill" is directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, and he's not a helmer interested in making something flashy and superficial. The man behind "Memory: The Origins of Alien" and "Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist," Philippe is more interested in getting under the skin of his subjects, playing with stillness and introspection to best extract a deeper understanding of the situation. Thankfully, Shatner is ready to play along, sitting down for this unexpectedly reflective conversation about acting, nature, and the ways of life and death. "You Can Call Me Bill" is a fascinating portrait of Shatner, who, at 92 years of age, remains as animated as ever, eager to walk through the memories of his active days, doing so with a hearty sense of humor and emotional intensity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com