Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

I'm not sure what Elizabeth Banks was hoping to gain by agreeing to star in "Walk of Shame," but I'm certain she's not going to feel much in the way of positivity once the public begins sampling the picture. Uselessly crude and insistently moronic, "Walk of Shame" features the type of story that could be completely washed away if the main character simply stopped for a moment to explain herself. However, that sensible approach would negate the movie, forcing writer/director Steven Brill to groggily dream up nonsensical ways to keep this attempt at a screwball comedy on the go, subjecting Banks to lethal screenwriting and aggressive supporting performances. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The 2014 version of "Endless Love" has taken some drastic steps to avoid comparison to other incarnations of the same story. Originating from a 1979 novel by author Scott Spencer and adapted into a popular 1981 picture starring Brooke Shields (featuring an omnipresent theme song that ruined roller skating for everyone in the early eighties), "Endless Love" is a tale of dark obsession and manipulation, powered by a bittersweet quality that reinforces the dangerous games of affection played by the characters. The New "Endless Love" is defanged claptrap for 13-year-olds with no sense of how the world actually works, drained of any threat, heat, or logic as it manufactures a love story where idiocy is celebrated as laudable passion. If you're familiar with the book or the earlier feature, this "Endless Love" won't be recognizable. Imagine if "Star Wars" was the cinematic adaptation of "Bridget Jones's Diary," and that's as close as co-writer/director Shana Feste gets to the source material here. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2006's "You, Me and Dupree" arrived in theaters during a time when Owen Wilson could do little wrong. Graduating from Wes Anderson appearances to major studio films, Wilson was coming off such smashes as "Wedding Crashers" and "Meet the Fockers," with hungry studios eager to build comedic vehicles for the star. While enthusiasm was pure, quality was lacking. "You, Me and Dupree" is perhaps the worst of the bunch, and not because it's offensive or simply unfunny, it just doesn't even try to be anything but a predictable comedy lacking the energy to color outside the lines. And there's Wilson in the middle of the malarkey, trying to whine and wince his way around material that never had a pulse to begin with. Perhaps the production was launched with good intentions, but it lands with a tremendous thud. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1970's "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" isn't concerned with radically reworking Arthur Conan Doyle's celebrated character, but it does retain a surprising bluntness when it comes to the behavior of the consulting detective that few adaptations have pursued. It's a movie from Billy Wilder, created during the twilight of the iconic filmmaker's career, interested in merging traditional Holmes-style mystery with fussy character business, highlighting relationships and curiosity as clues are followed and suspects are studied. Assembled with real snap by Wilder and his frequent collaborator, co-writer I.A.L. Diamond, "The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes" is an extremely amusing and engaging picture, taking care of all the expected detective work as it offers a few surprises of its own. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As western romps go, "The Scalphunters" hasn't aged very well. A tale of racial paranoia and partnership, the feature traffics in a level of barbed dialogue that would trigger P.C. alarms in this day and age, but in 1968, times were certainly different. Navigating the movie's period attitude is relatively easy, but finding its sense of humor takes some work. Everyone onscreen appears to be having a ball with this adventure, but the spirit isn't infectious. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2001's "Bridget Jones's Diary" was a complete charmer, and also a bit of a miracle. After all, the casting of Texan Renee Zellweger in an iconic British role was predicted to be a disaster, but the actress managed to make the part her own, gaining weight and perfecting her slapstick skills to portray the neurotic character. The film was a smash and featured a comfortably fairy tale-esque ending, making the promise of a follow-up difficult to understand. 2004's "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason" is a commendable attempt to continue a good thing, reviving elements that defined the original effort while trying to master a few new tonal directions to inspire the challenge of a sequel. It's not completely successful, yet "The Edge of Reason" has its moments, and while it falls short of the previous picture's charisma and sense of mischief, it's nice to see these personalities back on the screen. If only there was a more cohesive story to aid this screwball game of love. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The Vince Vaughn of 2006 was coming off blockbusters such as "Dodgeball" and "Wedding Crashers," and while it's easy to be disappointed with his recent career endeavors (including the anemic "The Watch" and "The Internship"), it was awfully brave of the actor to follow-up two extremely silly, popular films with this sobering reminder of love gone wrong. "The Break-Up" isn't a particularly cohesive picture, but its intentions are fascinating, attempting to buck the trend of apple-cheeked romantic comedies by exploring the dissolution of a long-term relationship. European cinema does it better, but "The Break-Up" gets many gut-rot emotions right, trying to articulate such fist-shaking frustration without turning off a nation of moviegoers. Even if the effort isn't especially humorous, it gets far on ambition alone, fighting off a case of the cutes to make a feature that treats domestic antagonism with some degree of reality, avoiding fairy tale trimmings. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Duel at Diablo" is based on the Marvin H. Albert novel, "Apache Rising," which is perhaps why the film version is an ambitious but overwhelmed effort, never secure in its storytelling, even as it tackles some contentious topics. The 1966 picture, directed by Ralph Nelson, is atmospheric, with tremendous Utah locations that provide a sweltering backdrop to the action, and there's secure star power with actors James Garner and Sidney Poitier, who deliver leathery performances. What's missing is a point of view, with the screenplay (co-written by Albert) struggling to work out Native American prejudice and villainy, making it difficult to recognize what the movie is trying to communicate. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The wild isn't just a place of solitude. For most creatures, strength is found in large numbers, and the "Nature" episode "The Gathering Swarms" inspects the choreography and communication of a hive mentality, traveling all over the globe to detail the rituals required to bring what's often a defensive and mating force to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As "Endeavour" enters its second series, it faces a unique challenge. Beginning life as a prequel to the "Inspector Morse" program, "Endeavour" is now forced to find its own identity, having coasted on nostalgia alone for the initial episodes. It must become its own creation of mystery and drama. Although it doesn't hit any particularly potent creative highs in "Series 2," the show doesn't continue on as originally designed, reaching beyond the confines of procedural entertainment to explore the titular character as he wrestles with physical and mental trauma, while finding a love interest for this go-around of crime-solving. It's a needed expansion of personality that helps to navigate the knotty scheme of suspects the production works overtime to introduce. It's an overall softening that encourages investment in this standoffish character, making him more than just whirring mind. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Released in 1953, "The Vanquished" presented Michelangelo Antonioni as a work-in-progress, perfecting on his directorial skills as he experimented with tone, theme, and style. Curious about the post-war effect on the youth of the day, the helmer created three chapters ("Italy," "France," and "England") to explore the plague of violence, with callousness becoming all the rage, filling headlines with tales of murder and remorselessness. Over the course of three short stores, Antonioni wasn't looking to solve this crisis of conscience, only to dissect it, inspecting passionate characters caught up in ugly business. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Although it is, in fact, a sequel to 1969's "True Grit," 1975's "Rooster Cogburn" is perhaps most notable for its pairing of John Wayne (reprising a role that won him his only Academy Award) and Katharine Hepburn — two Hollywood legends who somehow avoided each other for the majority of their careers. I'm not sure what's weirder: seeing Wayne play old and silly or watching Hepburn play a gun-totin' western hero, but the chemistry is interesting. Stepping away from the harder edges of "True Grit," this delayed follow-up plays it safe with established genre elements, a broad villain, and picturesque locations. However, remaining at the core of all the comfort are two surprisingly engaged performances from Wayne and Hepburn, who put in a professional effort with pushover screenwriting, making their characters sincere and active in ways their age (both were 67 years old during the shoot) and veteran status wouldn't traditionally invite. As western escapism, "Rooster Cogburn" scratches the itch, providing a satisfying adventure with headstrong characters, making good use of the cast's abilities. Yet, as a feature that arrives after "True Grit," the film remains easy to digest, which might cause Wayne purists some discomfort as The Duke trades iron stares for light comedy in this approachable movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One must tread carefully when discussing "Cannibal Holocaust." The notorious 1980 horror effort from director Ruggero Deodato has acquired quite a reputation throughout the years, subjected to censorship, legal proceedings, and derision, all the while amassing a cult following over the last three decades, nurtured by fans who choose to see the picture as a statement on humanity, refusing to indulge the feature's initial condemnation. It's brutal, senseless, and excessive — hardly a Saturday night Redbox rental to be viewed after a nice dinner and a bottle of wine. It's specific cinema for a knowledgeable audience, and indeed, underneath all the violence and grim happenings, there's fascinating work and thematic investigation to discover. "Cannibal Holocaust" is rough, but it's an interesting type of sensationalism from a (thankfully) bygone production era. It's not a film to be enjoyed, but it certainly offers a singular genre bite that's impressively gonzo. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Screamers" is an entertaining adventure/horror picture, but its behind-the-scenes saga is even better. Produced in 1979, the Italian release was titled "Island of the Fishmen," offering mild thrills for younger audiences craving a monster movie without the pressure of extreme violence and other R-rated pursuits. Roger Corman purchased the distribution rights for America, ordering director Miller Drake to spruce up the effort with extreme gore, playing more directly to drive-in customer appetites. Drake created an epilogue starring Cameron Mitchell as a sea captain who escorts a couple (played by Mel Ferrer and Eunice Bolt) to a forbidden island, aiding their search for treasure, only to be gobbled up by ghoulish mutant fishmen. When this cut of the film, now titled "Something Waits in the Dark" didn't go over well, Corman's crew (primarily Jim Wynorski) cooked up a trailer that emphasized a cinematic centerpiece featuring a human turned inside out. Of course, no such scene existed in the movie, but nobody comes between Roger Corman and a dollar, with the refreshed advertising pushing the newly retitled "Screamers" into profit, eventually incurring the wrath of angry ticket buyers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In an attempt to rile up religious forces, director Pete Walker fumbles the basics of suspense cinema in 1976's "House of Mortal Sin" (a.k.a. "The Confessional"). It's not that the picture is a disaster, far from it, but the helmer is clearly out to provoke with this story of sin and murder, turning a respected Catholic priest into a stone-cold killer. Walker is begging for publicity with this one, but the movie doesn't earn is rabble-rousing intent, moving forward as a thriller that features some inventive violence, strong performances, and a perfectly acceptable message on human nature, only to lose potency with painful overlength and a bizarre choice to identify the antagonist right away, thus abandoning any hope for a proper mystery. In the end, there are more pros than con with "House of Mortal Sin," but Walker feels constipated with this effort, unsure if he wants to court controversy or make a cracking chiller. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Cousin Jules" is a staunchly observational feature. It's the only credited work from writer/director Dominique Benicheti, who poured five years of his life into the making of the documentary, emerging from the thick of production in 1973 with a portrait of man and a woman and the farm they tend to on a daily basis. It's difficult to understand what Benicheti was hoping to achieve with "Cousin Jules," but his commitment to this epic display of rustic minutiae is something to behold, filmed in CinemaScope to bring out visual depth, even for the most mundane of tasks. And believe me, the tasks are mundane. It's a simple picture, but beautifully symbolic and endlessly fascinated with its subjects, looking to impart an appreciation for routine and its rhythmic elements, questing to manufacture screen poetry along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The concept of the meet cute takes a creepy turn in "Home Before Midnight." When we meet our lead characters, Ginny is hitchhiking down a quiet road, soon stopped by Mike, who's driving along in his car. He offers her a lift, she naturally hesitates, concerned with the prospect of riding with a single man. Mike, in his infinite wisdom, cracks a rape joke to lighten the mood. Ginny responds not with a crescent kick to the throat, but with a laugh, and quickly slips into the car. This is true love, folks, at least the 1979 British kind from director Pete Walker, who attempts to step away from his routine of terror films to make a sensitive drama about the trials and tribulations of romancing an underage girl. In a way, Walker remains in the horror genre, but instead of displaying blood and guts, "Home Before Midnight" traffics in lies and urges, asking the audience to judge these characters alongside the rest of their community. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There's no possible way to describe "Runaway Nightmare" to the average viewer. It's wild, weird bottom shelf production from writer/director Mike Cartel that seems like it was a struggle to finish. The 1982 feature appears to have an interest in comedy, action, and suspense, but no real clue how to achieve its goals, hampered by budget problems and a strange cinematic constipation from Cartel when it comes to the delivery of excitement or titillation. "Runaway Nightmare" is certainly intriguing as a surreal, Ed Wood-esque romp, but don't sit down with it expecting anything more than B-movie shenanigans. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It's difficult to tell if "The Escape Artist" is meant to be a singular three-episode event or the pilot for a series to come. Either way, the program has its appeal, embarking on an extended arc of suspicion and revenge that teases stiff legal reasoning, only to give in to traditional thriller mechanics. It's a courtroom thriller with a side of respectable rage, and it mostly works, thanks to a superb lead performance from David Tennant, who holds "The Escape Artist" together when it occasionally rides off the rails, giving in to obvious performances and screwy plot turns. At the very least, it would be fun to see Tennant inhabit this character to solve a crime every year, with this introduction creating a credibly broken character whose fight for justice emerges from a rattled headspace, not an intellectual need to dominate the legal system. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Omar" carries the weight of the world on its shoulders, but it manages to extract sincerity and preserve cinematic intentions with startlingly ease. Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at this year's Academy Awards, the picture also has a little prestige to go along with its many creative accomplishments. Deserving of such accolades, "Omar" takes a troubling subject matter and turns it into an engrossing mystery and study of psychological warfare. Writer/director Hany Abu-Assad presents a clear vision for his exploration of Palestinian unrest, working to build strong characterizations while developing a larger depiction of violence and manipulation, working suspense beats to their fullest potential. Heartbreaking and spare, "Omar" doesn't provide easy answers as it builds its pressure cooker environment, putting primary attention on the personalities involved, allowing for a human perspective as it details acts of breathless survival and suffocating paranoia. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com