Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

After a career push to turn him into a drive-in theater hero in the late 1970s, Chuck Norris enters the 1980s with greater focus on conquering multiplexes and international audiences. Building on the mild success of 1980's "The Octagon" and 1981's "An Eye for an Eye," Norris smashes into 1982 with two pictures, with "Forced Vengeance" following "Silent Rage," giving the martial arts star a chance to show his stuff in the more exotic location of Hong Kong. The villains are up to no good (the heroes also act questionably) when it comes to collecting rival casinos, and it's up to one man out to protect his loved ones from direct threats. Co-writer/director James Fargo ("Voyage of the Rock Aliens," "Every Which Way but Loose," "The Enforcer") doesn't get ambitious with "Forced Vengeance," keeping the effort down to the basics in Norris-style entertainment, putting the lead in a series of action poses as his character seeks to deliver acts of intimidation before offerings of butt-kickery. There's no significant creative challenge presented here, and not all of Fargo's ideas are acceptable, but there's a welcome simplicity to the endeavor that keeps it compelling. And Norris is alert here, providing hearty showdowns and hostile retorts, doing his one-man-army routine with some level of enthusiasm. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After playing a man of the Old West in 1977's "The White Buffalo," hoping to find success with a "Jaws"-like tale of a hunter and a monster animal on the loose, Charles Bronson finds a polar opposite acting opportunity in "Telefon," released in the same year. Of course, Bronson isn't one to push himself too far as a thespian, preferring to remain in his range, even when dealing with plots of increasing craziness. This adaptation of a Walter Wager novel (credited to Peter Hyams and Stirling Silliphant) certainly qualifies as bonkers, finding the star portraying a Russian spy looking to stop the rise of sleeper agents in the U.S., hoping to prevent World War III as a lunatic, armed with a line of poetry, looks to cause unimaginable chaos. It's telephoned-based horror in the feature, which arrives under the direction of Don Siegel (who's billed with his handwritten signature), and the veteran helmer isn't too interested in amplifying suspense for the endeavor. As Cold War thrillers go, "Telefon" has tremendous potential, even as wacky as it is, but Siegel doesn't have the eye of the tiger here. He prefers to keep screen activity intermittent and Bronson more subdued than usual, refusing to go crazy with a premise that invites it. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The 1970s were good to Charles Bronson. Working his way into leading man parts, Bronson ran with the opportunity, taking as many employment opportunities as possible while developing a loyal fan base responsive to his steely screen presence. He made 21 movies during the decade, mostly sticking with genre entertainment that made the most of his reserved acting style, often finding himself in heroic roles as a man of action dealing with the evils of the world. 1976's "St. Ives" is a slight change of pace for the star, with this adaptation of a 1972 Oliver Bleeck novel putting Bronson in detective mode, portraying a middle man caught between the police and criminals when special information is stolen from a wealthy man. Bronson does Bronson in "St. Ives," but he's great fun to watch as a cautious man stuck in a strange situation. The feature doesn't quite understand that less is more, but director J. Lee Thompson (who would go on to make eight more films with Bronson) keeps things exciting for an hour and change, adding elements of danger and red herrings as the eponymous character tries to make sense of everything that's coming for him. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1963's "Blood Feast" isn't a classic film, but it remains an important one in horror circles. Director Herschell Gordon Lewis wanted to stir up some controversy to help sell tickets, and he found it with "Blood Feast," which was an early endeavor to weaponize gore in a way, offering an unrepentant display of blood and guts for audiences to enjoy…if they dared. In 2024, the feature is comical, but time hasn't diluted much of its gonzo attitude, watching Lewis push the boundaries of violence to attract attention. For a 2016 remake, director Marcel Walz and screenwriter Philip Lilienschwarz try to recapture the spirit of the original picture while generally rethinking almost all of its plot and characters. This "Blood Feast" takes a dull movie and puts it right to sleep, watching Walz boldly refuse any sort of pace or level of suspense to the effort. There's grisliness, no doubt, but the do-over is a colossal bore that takes its sweet time to go nowhere, finding Lewis's take on the hunt for a human dinner much more engaging that this patience- testing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The horrors of combat are handed the family film treatment in 1984's "The Dog Who Stopped the War." A Canadian production, the picture looks to understand the strange ways of childhood as neighborhood kids gather to battle one another in a grand scheme of conflict, with snowballs replacing more violent weapons. Director Andre Melancon has the unenviable task of corralling a large group of child actors to help realize this study of playful aggression, and he manages to extract some impressive performances for the feature, which goes from comedic events to a sobering conclusion. "The Dog Who Stopped the War" miraculously holds together during its run time, with Melancon finding a way to preserve the material's messages on the end of innocence while maintaining a heightened reality with this community of reluctant combatants. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

MTV grew into a dominating force of style during the 1980s, finding music videos going from a curiosity or simple marketing tool into cinematic experiences that helped to influence moviemaking throughout the decade. Such visual power was used by many and abused by even more, and this sense of flashiness dominates 1988's "Sons of Steel," an Australian production from writer/director Gary L. Keady. The helmer tries to merge punky happenings in the nuclear age with a grungy Duran Duran video, aiming to create a chaotic adventure across time with an extremely limited budget. "Sons of Steel" has a vision for bigness when it comes to end-of-days action and performance, but Keady doesn't have the seniority to master the challenge of such ambitious, comic book-style material. His inexperience shows during the viewing event, which quickly goes from a tolerable curiosity to an absolute drag. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2000's "Scrapbook" is "based on actual events." These situations are never identified, with violence and suffering basically driving the viewing experience, technically qualifying most movies as "based on actual events." Screenwriter Tommy Biondo (who passed away in 1999) has some personal issues to work through in the picture, which explores the merciless ways of a serial killer (played by Biondo) and his obsession with his latest catch, spending time torturing a young woman in his remote farmhouse. And that's about it for dramatic urgency in "Scrapbook," with the shot-on- video endeavor completely made up of scenes where one character torments the other character, with Biondo passing on story and suspense to make what's basically a fetish film that's extraordinarily tedious to watch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2012's "Ernest & Celestine" (released in America in 2014) was a complete surprise. The animated French picture was small, preferring delicate artistry over expensive imagery, electing to put its energy into personality. The feature was an absolute delight, one of the best films of the year, and little was expected of the movie after melting hearts and hitting the funny bone the first time around. A decade later, there's "Ernest and Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia," a sequel from a different creative team, out to recreate the pleasures of the original picture while finding a new event for the eponymous pals to manage. "A Trip to Gibberitia" is more plot oriented than its predecessor, but the follow-up is nearly as fantastic, returning to character quirks and connections while opening up this lovable world with fresh challenges for animal friends and, now, family. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Alex Ross Perry doesn't make easy movies. For 2014's "Listen Up Philip," he submitted one of the most unpleasant lead characters of the film year. For "Queen of Earth," he explores the abyss of mental illness. He's not the cheery type, but Perry has a way of making these dramatic explorations worthwhile, with periodic blips of profundity. Carried by a wonderfully ragged lead performance from Elisabeth Moss, "Queen of Earth" steps away from a clinical understanding of depression to go semi-Polanski, treating the fractured experience of a complete unraveling with a full immersion into paranoia and hopelessness, emerging with a secure study of friendship and phobia that feels organically communicated yet sharply cinematic. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Since the release of "Carrie" in 1976, adaptations of Stephen King novels and short stories have become almost a regular event. Such tales of horror and heartbreak have become catnip to filmmakers, especially those raised on the author's work in print form, finally receiving a chance to do something with King's vast imagination. "King on Screen" is a documentary about the writer and his experiences with filmed entertainment, and while he doesn't appear in interview form, King's presence is felt throughout the endeavor, which seeks to identify just what about his writing often results in cinematic magic. Director Daphne Baiwir doesn't provide a comprehensive examination of the subject, but she chooses her topics wisely, delivering an interesting ride back into King Country, sitting down with many of the men responsible for translating these pages into occasionally terrific movies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1978's "Skateboard" (a.k.a. "Skateboard: The Movie") is a production trying to capitalize on a trend. The world of skateboarding is explored here, with co-writer/director George Gage bringing viewers to Los Angeles, where the kids are showing off their moves on four wheels, while a desperate man with an enormous debt hopes to exploit such talent for his own financial gain. "Skateboard" is a quickie production, offering a threadbare plot and sketchily drawn characters, but it's not meant to be much more than a showcase for the sport, captured here during its 1970s heyday, with subculture superstar Tony Alva claiming a supporting role. Skateboarding footage is key here, adding a sense of excitement and showmanship to the endeavor, which noticeably struggles with anything that isn't about following sporting accomplishments. It's not the most electric offering of drama, with Gage and co-writer Richard A. Wolf (the future king of television, Dick Wolf, making his professional debut) struggling to pour some foundation for a feature that's best with pure physical activity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Orson Oblowitz has a deep love for film exhibition, pouring his heart into the creation of "Showdown at the Grand," which investigates the days of an indie theater operator getting in touch with his big screen fantasies as his life is threatened by an evil land developer. It's a passion for the old ways that keeps the endeavor inviting, but Oblowitz doesn't have much in the way of a budget, getting stuck with limited coin as he stages an action movie about action movies and all the daydreams they inspire. "Showdown at the Grand" isn't a pulse-pounding thriller, but it scores with its love of the game, showing respect for the weird ways of theater owners and their dedication to a business that doesn't always love them back. It's a loose viewing experience, but Oblowitz has his moments, presenting a bruised valentine to the escape movie theaters provide. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Building a directorial career with features about hard men finding themselves in deep trouble, Walter Hill enjoyed industry growth throughout the 1970s and early '80s. He favored western-style storytelling with elements of psychological strain and physical violence, winning audiences with efforts such as "48 Hrs." and "The Warriors." This approach began to lose its potency in the late-1980s, but the next decade was especially rough on Hill, who struggled to blend his helming interests with studio projects, striking out at the box office with "Geronimo: An American Legend" and "Wild Bill." 1996's "Last Man Standing" represents something of a last gasp from Hill, handed money and star Bruce Willis to help transform a remake of Akira Kurosawa's "Yojimbo" into a major action event, turning samurais into prohibition-era gangsters for noir-ish growling and posing. For the opening two acts, the production is on to something, with Hill offering confident direction and command of mood, creating something interestingly mean with the material. The picture eventually loses its way, limping to an abrupt finale, but there's enough here to pass, identifying Hill's gifts with leathery moviemaking before his big-league career was permanently derailed. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1994's "The Killing of Bobby Greene" plays like an adaptation of a YA novel. It deals with the rising violence of a teenager fearing he has no future, turning to crime to solve his problems while pulling his friends into a dangerous scheme. Writer/director/actor Mick McCleery hopes to put some real dramatic energy into the shot-on-video endeavor, but he only gets through the first act. There's something of a story to enjoy with early scenes in the feature, which explore a plot of revenge with a mild degree of interesting turns, but "The Killing of Bobby Greene" eventually runs out of steam, finding McCleery battling to find his way to a feature-length run time as dramatic repetition sets in, hurting a picture that hopes to deliver a snowballing sense of paranoia and threat. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The future belongs to skateboarders. That's the general idea driving 1990's "Shredder Orpheus," which is a punky update of the Orpheus and Eurydice story, with writer/director/actor Robert McGinley bringing the Greek legend down to a more manageable, underground cinema size. It's an ambitious undertaking with an extremely low budget, but McGinley is determined to do something with his idea, offering a surreal adventure that's filled with music, challenges, and skateboarding. The scale of the feature is impressive, especially with the limited resources available to McGinley, making production appreciation easy. Sitting through "Shredder Orpheus" is much more difficult. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Meg Ryan doesn't act much anymore, and when she does, she's been using her star power to support her directorial endeavors. In 2015, there was the little seen "Ithica," and now there's "What Happens Later," which returns Ryan to the screen in a major part, also handling scripting duties with Kirk Lynn and Steven Dietz, adapting his 2008 play, "Shooting Star." Ryan's playing to her strengths with the effort, which returns the actress to the romantic comedy subgenre that boosted her career over 30 years ago, but general sweetness is limited here. The material is more interested in the ways of aging and soured relationships, getting into the unfinished business between two people who loved each other long ago, reuniting for a night during an airport layover. "What Happens Later" isn't big on tingles, but it does have Ryan and co-star David Duchovny, who share decent chemistry in this tale of regret, helping to bring an otherwise static but deeply felt picture to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1974's "The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz" is an adaptation of a 1959 Mordecai Richler novel, and director Ted Kotcheff is certainly dedicated to the preservation of the literary experience, with Richler handing the screenplay himself. It's a layered study of ambition and self-preservation, daring to present unlikable characters doing unmistakably human things, creating a viewing experience as itchy as its eponymous character. There's a lot to work through in the feature, and there's definitely an expiration date with this story, but Kotcheff nails an opening hour of unfiltered desire from the players and the plot, creating an interesting journey of a hustler without game, struggling to assign himself importance by any means necessary. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It's fitting that a bio-pic of "Weird Al" Yankovic doesn't contain a single authentically biographical moment from his life. "Weird: The Al Yankovic Story" isn't out to deliver an honest overview of the subject's life and times, it's a "Funny or Die" co-production, presenting not just an exaggerated take on Yankovic's career, but a complete farce concerning the twists and turns of his existence. It's in the tradition of "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story," delivering a parody of bio-pics for the master of song parodies, turning his experiences into an operatic understanding of career determination and the intoxication of ego. "Weird" is often hilarious and always on the prowl for silly business, with director Eric Appel (who co-scripts with Yankovic) really going wild with this examination of one man's quest to win the world over with his accordion and love of wordplay, facing incredible odds against his success and physical threats from Pablo Escobar. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The worlds of art and crime connect in "The Kill Room," which is largely being promoted as a reunion for stars Uma Thurman and Samuel L. Jackson, who last acted together in 1994's "Pulp Fiction." A lot of time has passed since the release of the Quentin Tarantino film, but not everything has changed, as "The Kill Room" has Thurman portraying a rattled woman turning to drugs and dangerous men to keep herself distracted, while Jackson once again inhabits the part of an easily agitated, profane man caught up in a criminal situation that slips out of control. Slightly fatigued Tarantino- isms are certainly present in the screenplay by Jonathan Jacobson, intended or not, but the story launches with compelling oddity, highlighting the strange ways of art appreciation and manipulation, which is far more interesting than underworld entanglements that come to claim the effort's second half. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The "Police Academy" film series was put to sleep after 1989's "Police Academy 6: City Under Siege" failed to entice practically anyone into theaters to keep up with the kooky cops. For producer Paul Maslansky, death was only the beginning, working to launch "Police Academy" as a live-action television show, an animated program, a theme park stunt experience, and there was even a short-lived toy line to keep the brand name alive. Sensing a shot to revive the franchise with another theatrical endeavor, Maslansky assembles 1994's "Police Academy: Mission to Moscow," sensing the exotic nature of a picture set in Russia, and actually shot there, might be enough to capture audience attention. He's wrong, and while using Russia as a backdrop for American police shenanigans is certainly different, there's absolutely nothing in "Mission to Moscow" that's fresh, interesting, or entertaining. It's a chore to sit through, almost playing like a parody of a "Police Academy" production. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com