Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

"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

The experience of motherhood and friendship is examined in "Babes." It's not a serious study of the complexity of such a relationship, but mostly a goofy comedy co-scripted and co-starring Ilana Glazer, who works very hard (with collaborator Josh Rabinowitz) to keep the material at arm's length from a more sincere take on the journey of pregnancy. Actress Pamela Adlon (perhaps best known as the voice of Bobby on "King of the Hill") makes her feature-length directorial debut with the endeavor, and while she gives the movie a little jazzy pixie dust during its opening act, she soon submits to the tired approach of modern comedies, filling the effort with lengthy improvisational duels and lame ideas for silliness. "Babes" eventually succumbs to formula, and while the picture begins with some mischief and insight into the fogged mind of post-partum frustrations, it ultimately becomes a weak Judd Apatow-style viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Kaiju fever reaches Denmark in 1961's "Reptilicus," with producer/co-director/co-writer Sidney Pink trying to participate in a moviemaking trend while giving the feature its own distinct location for mass destruction. It's science vs. military in the effort, with a creature caught in the ways of evolution revived by the curious, allowing it to rampage once again. And this citywide violence is fairly strange, combining puppetry, animation, and human chaos in a mostly conversational endeavor that's not attentive to a gripping pace. However, there's an enjoyable roughness to the picture, with the production working to deliver big monster mayhem on a small budget, pulling together all the resources it can find to sell large-scale disaster. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1991's "HauntedWeen" is a riff on 1978's "Halloween," following writer/director Doug Robertson and his effort to play around with genre events and frat house goofballery for what's essentially a comedy with moments of violence. Tonally, the endeavor is all over the place, but Robertson has clear enthusiasm for the job, working to establish happenings at a Kentucky fraternity and a developing nightmare occurring at an old haunted house. It's slasher entertainment, one with some extremity at times, and there's a fun factor with the low-budget picture, which attempts to maintain a party atmosphere, keeping the feature approachable. It's not sharp work from Robertson, but "HauntedWeen" is engaging for B-movie entertainment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Michael S. O'Rourke looks to bring the teenage pain and melodrama of a Shangri-Las song to the screen with 1987's "Deadly Love." It's a study of tragedy and revenge, but also obsession and dark magic, with O'Rourke aiming to summon the passion of youth to help energize a grim examination of insanity. The elements are all there in the plot, giving the helmer a shot to generate a twisted tale featuring unstable characters and their fixations, but the movie isn't always interested in pursuing the most dynamic storytelling. "Deadly Love" has difficulty working up intensity, or any suspense really, finding O'Rourke unable to overcome obvious budgetary limitations and go for something gonzo. Little of it makes sense, but there's an idea here that's interesting. It's just never developed into something outrageous. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1986's "Revenge" is the third film from writer/director Christopher Lewis and his United Entertainment Pictures, with the company aiming to provide low-budget productions for the burgeoning home video rental marketplace. It's a sequel to 1985's "Blood Cult" (which isn't included in the "Home Grown Horrors: Volume 3" set), providing a new chapter in the saga of a serial killer who appears to be working toward an end game with his violence, putting a widow and a concerned sibling on the case to stop this reign of terror. Lewis doesn't have much in the way of style or suspense for the endeavor, which plods along in detective mode for far too long. Viciousness makes basically a cameo in the movie, with "Revenge" trying to generate an air of unease as cult activity is uncovered by the main characters, with Lewis unsure how to work surprises into the feature, which could definitely use more shock value to help engage viewers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1989, there was "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure," a modest teen comedy that wasn't expected to do much business, only to become one of the biggest hits of the winter. It offered the ticket-buyers two lovable goons who needed time travel to help finish their history homework and save the world. A sequel arrived in 1991, and "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" was a risk, dialing back the cuddliness for an edgier take on mortality and robotics, sending the characters on a darkly comedic adventure to Heaven and Hell. It was magnificent fun. There was a cartoon, merchandise, and even a cereal, but the Bill & Ted experience was pronounced dead in 1992 (after an unwatchable live-action series rightfully tanked), leaving fans to dream about another lap around the circuits of time. 28 years later, the boys are back with "Bill & Ted Face the Music," and while they're older and not necessarily wiser, the chemistry shared between stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter remains delightful, and screenwriters Chris Matheson and Ed Solomon actually find a way to shake up this universe for one last round of musical unity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Despite some rough edges, 1989's "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure" is generally a sweet and positive tale of teenagers receiving the time-travel education of their lives. It's a brightly performed and superbly crafted comedy, having great fun with dumb guy humor and slapstick mayhem, with stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter perfectly cast as the eponymous adventurers through the Circuits of Time. The movie became an unexpected hit, and work on a sequel soon began. However, instead of a simple rehash where Bill and Ted meet more historical figures in their quest to graduate high school, co-writers Ed Solomon and Chris Matheson elect to use their follow-up to make perhaps one of the strangest sequels of all time. 1991's "Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey" has no interest in lining up with franchise expectations, going gonzo with its offering of afterlife survival, evil robots, and an adventure with Death, creating a thrilling study of filmmaking creativity and daredevil storytelling. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In "China O'Brien," the small town of Beaver Creek was saved due to the efforts of an ex-cop and her pals, who managed to rid the area of criminal influence. However, peace could never last for long, forcing the eponymous character to return to action in "China O'Brien II." Co-writer/director Robert Clouse doesn't have the benefit of hindsight with the sequel, which was shot at the same time as the first "China O'Brien," tasked with creating two defined adventures for star Cynthia Rothrock and her martial art moves. Perhaps a little break between chapters was necessary, as Clouse delivers a similar study of supercop action in "China O'Brien II," only the follow-up is less interested in the needs of pace and a tiny bit sloppier in execution. There's still the central appeal of Rothrock in motion, kicking and punching bad guys, but the helmer almost seems to be winging it at times, which slows the movie to a full stop before physical activity wakes it up again. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com