Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

"Spencer" is not a bio-pic of Diana, Princess of Wales. It's a chamber piece about the haunted woman, offering more of a psychological profile than a tour of exact details concerning her personal history. The feature is directed by Pablo Larrain, who attempted a similar study of unimaginable stress brewing inside a delicate mind with 2016's "Jackie," seemingly drawn to these types of cinematic inspections. "Jackie" was a hypnotic, funereal viewing experience, while "Spencer" aims to be more abstract and artful, with Larrain intentionally getting away from expectations during his examination of Diana's fragile state of panic. Larrain aims to get inside Diana's head and remain there for two hours, which is good for some striking images of struggle, but the picture isn't exactly satisfying, with its addiction to elusiveness throttling dramatic potential. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1983, John Candy already appeared in many movies, making an impression in "The Blues Brothers" and "1941," and he stole scenes in 1981's "Stripes," establishing a big screen career for the "SCTV" performer. "Going Berserk" attempted to promote Candy to leading man status, with the Canadian comedy giving the actor room to show some range and display his love of silliness. To help the cause, the producers also bring in "SCTV" vets Eugene Levy and Joe Flaherty to support Candy, perhaps trusting such television gold might translate to a cinematic success. "Going Berserk" is an interesting failure, as it tries to latch on to a plot about the assassination of a congressman, but co-writer/director David Steinberg is an easily distracted man, endeavoring to work in as many skits and asides as possible, hoping to make something supremely wacky when the effort is, at best, mildly amusing. Candy works extremely hard to sell the mediocrity here, and it's always fun to see the late, great comedian onscreen. It's the starring vehicle that fails him, attacking funny business without a clear plan for story or character. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While major animated releases from studios such as Pixar and Dreamworks manage to dominate the box office and command critical conversation, some of the finest examples of the medium have been produced by Cartoon Saloon over the last decade. They've churned out magnificent efforts such as "Song of the Sea," "The Secret of Kells," and "The Breadwinner," invested in the art of challenging audiences with unusual tales of resilience and wonder, digging into extremes of fantasy and reality to inspire their stories. The artistry and integrity of this company is astounding, and for 2020, they offer "Wolfwalkers," once again crafting a story that welcomes hearty emotion and real suspense for family audiences, also delivering a visual feast of 2D animation that supplies some of the most striking imagery of the film year. "Wolfwalkers" is stunning and sincere, preserving Cartoon Saloon's position as the most exciting animation studio working today. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2009, writer/director Tomm Moore made a dent in the notoriously competitive animation marketplace with "The Secret of Kells," a charming adventure that eventually worked its way to an Academy Award nomination. Not too shabby for a modestly budget effort from Ireland. Eschewing a bold follow-up to play into industry trends, Moore returns with "Song of a Sea," another delightfully modest picture that trusts in the power of imagery and amplifies a spectacularly successful sense of emotion. A gorgeously crafted take on Celtic myths and sibling bonds, "Song of the Sea" is a soulful smash, with Moore absolutely nailing the needs the heart to go along with his command of traditional animation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As strikingly animated and superlatively textured a motion picture as "The Secret of Kells" is, it can be a little aloof. A blend of history and mythology, the feature is a distinctive enterprise that aims to challenge family audiences and animation purists with a tenaciously 2-D snapshot of the world. It's a passionate, dreamlike offering of filmmaking that requires the viewer to surrender to its often challenging storytelling, yet the time invested with this fringe player in the animation marketplace clash of the titans is rewarded with a resourceful, exquisite tale of tradition and education. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Perfect casting doesn't come around very often, but when it happens, it's a real treat for movie fans. 1984's "Mass Appeal" has perfect casting, with Jack Lemmon hired to play the part of a priest. Not just a man of God, but an old-school priest who lives to entertain and inspire with his sermons, loves to kick back with some cocktails, and generally deals with church business at arm's length, preferring to be a man of the people. Lemmon was specifically built for these kinds of roles, and he singlehandedly elevates "Mass Appeal" with his spirited, layered performance. Thankfully, there's material to back him up, with the feature an adaptation of a play by Bill C. Davis (who also scripts), providing fascinating ideas on faith and service while Lemmon commands the picture with his thespian gifts, offering a lived-in feel to a potentially stuffy endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Trog" is a film beloved by bad movie aficionados. The 1970 endeavor is notable for its use of an ape mask from "2001: A Space Odyssey" on the eponymous character, and the effort represents the last big screen appearance for actress Joan Crawford, completing a career with a role as a scientist trying to make some type of connection to a troglodyte. Despite its reputation as a classic howler, "Trog" isn't quite the campy festival of B-movie wonders its reputation suggests. It's not quality work, but director Freddie Francis certainly tries to keep the picture moving along with some speed, eventually turning a tale of a special discovery into a horror experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1979's "Radio On" is co-produced by Wim Wenders and resembles much of his filmography. Perhaps it's a homage, maybe an intentional replication, but director Chris Petit embraces a rare opportunity to soak in the juices of existentialism, following a character who takes a trip across Britain, observing a bleak world and meeting a few of its inhabitants. Petit makes a deliberate feature that's slowly paced and limited when it comes to dramatic developments. It's an art-house viewing experience offering a wonderful soundtrack from new wave artists of the day, and B&W cinematography handles the production's love of depression superbly, offering atmosphere to support layers of ennui. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Recently, AFGA celebrated the drive-in experience with "Blood-A-Rama: Triple Frightmare," and now they turn their attention to a similar viewing event, only this time they focus on the highlights of satan-themed adult film shorts. "Smut Without Smut: Satanic Horror Nite" is a strange offering of a "feature-length mixtape," combining softcore scenes from three shorts, along with additional promotional footage, ending up with a smorgasbord of visuals with plots concerning black magic and sexual slavery. Why the company is doing this isn't immediately clear, but they commit to the offering, stitching together a wild ride of old footage, which will likely be of some appeal to exhibition enthusiasts and those interested in the development of erotic entertainment from the 1970s. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The ending of "Tiger Claws II" promised a more fantasy-based sequel to come, but 2000's "Tiger Claws III" is turned into a superhero story in many ways, with writer/director J. Stephen Maunder taking inspiration from "Superman II" and "Rocky IV" to fashion a new direction for the increasingly confused series. Thankfully, concentration remains on fighting, though "Tiger Claws III" isn't nearly as engaging as the previous two chapters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While the story found its way to a conclusion in 1991's "Tiger Claws," producer/actor Jalal Merhi isn't ready to leave money on the table. Trying to transform a simple action vehicle into a franchise, Merhi returns with 1996's "Tiger Claws II," reuniting with stars Cynthia Rothrock and Bolo Yeung for a second chapter that's more about setting up a second sequel, making some noise while the tale works its way to a cliffhanger conclusion. Merhi's vision is bigger for "Tiger Claws II," but his budget restraints are more pronounced, finding the follow-up wrestling with limited sets and a few poor creative decisions while trying to offer B-movie fans an exciting continuation of the suddenly-a-franchise. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1991's "Tiger Claws" is a Canadian action film directed by Kelly Makin, who was one of the key creative forces involved in The Kids in the Hall, helming "Brain Candy" and "Death Comes to Town." These are unusual ingredients for bruiser cinema, but Makin makes it work, offering a reasonably tight and active martial arts feature that does well with its talent. It's not much of a mystery and acting limitations are obvious, but "Tiger Claws" has energy and a drive to deliver some interesting fight sequences and chases, finding compelling ways to batter bodies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Kinks and murder compete for screen attention in 1974's "Help Me…I'm Possessed," which isn't completely committed to a story of the supernatural or monster happenings, preferring to spend more time with bluntly photographed scenes of suffering. It's an odd one from director Charles Nizet, who aims to use weird science as a way into a creature feature of sorts, with the mystery ghoul depicted as a batch of wet licorice strings coming after innocent and not-so-innocent souls. There's entertainment value in that alone, making one wonder why Nizet works so hard to make his ridiculous story seem important. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1972's "The Night of the Strangler" doesn't feature a single strangulation. There's a drowning, a snake bite, several shootings, and even a Monkee, but nobody is murdered via strangulation. So why the title? A marketing hook is the most likely answer, promising ticket-buyers a chance to watch gruesome acts of death executed by a variety of killers. Sadly, "The Night of the Strangler" isn't a lurid production sliding neatly into grindhouse-style entertainment, but something a bit more static from director Joy N. Houck Jr., who battles inert storytelling while the writing actually touches on some interesting ideas concerning racism. Strangulation fans will have to seek their thrills elsewhere. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1970's "Carnival of Blood" is a maddeningly repetitive, low-budget shocker from director Leonard Kirtman. The helmer has access to select areas of a carnival and a loose idea for a horror movie, trying to present a ghoulish study of mental illness and male rage. However, if there's an idea here for genre entertainment, it's buried under pure padding, with Kirtman working especially hard to get "Carnival of Blood" to 90 minutes, offering viewers the tedium of various real time events. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2007, writer/director Michael Dougherty set out to redefine Halloween horror with "Trick 'r Treat," a clever anthology effort that emphasized eeriness over pounding terror. For his follow-up, the helmer looks to shake up another holiday with "Krampus," a Christmas-set chiller providing scares for the season of giving. Again avoiding cheap thrills, Dougherty creates an entertaining monster mash with the picture, which blends yuletide sensitivities involving dysfunctional families and the wrath of ghoulish creatures. Strangely, the production doesn't aim to create a roller coaster ride of oddity, preferring to step carefully with its genre offerings, leaving the endeavor feeling slack at crucial moments, but it's still satisfying overall. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"National Lampoon's Animal House" was released in July 1978, and went on to become a massive success, delighting audiences with its raunchy sense of humor and nostalgic groove. It was the second highest grossing picture of the year (coming in below "Grease" and above "Jaws 2"), putting National Lampoon in a unique position of power, capable of doing anything they wanted to with their follow-up project. The company had a prime opportunity to showcase their talents, creativity, and abundant supply of mischief. And so they made 1982's "National Lampoon's Movie Madness" (a.k.a. "National Lampoon Goes to the Movies," with this title still included on art in the feature), which is a complete and utter dud, even shelved for over a year while studio executives decided how to deal with a surefire bomb. Whatever audience goodwill developed with "Animal House" was wiped out by "Movie Madness" (and 1982's equally lame, "National Lampoon's Class Reunion"), which is shockingly awful at times, with the end product resembling a production largely fueled by cocaine (this was actually the case) and zero vision for what this oddball collection of non-ideas was supposed to be. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1995, "Outbreak" was rushed into release, hoping to capitalize on growing interest in deadly virus stories. It was a Hollywood production meant to frighten and thrill a mass audience, and it found its way to box office domination, giving viewers a glimpse of body horrors from the comfort of a multiplex seat. 1996's "Ebola Syndrome" isn't nearly as polished or interested in charming outsiders, launching a tale about a horrible man doing horrible things while a horrible virus spreads across the land. Director Herman Yau delivers a big-time mess with the feature, which revels in ugliness, living up to is "Category III" classification with a steady display of contemptible and murderous human behavior, also showing just as much enthusiasm for gore zone visits, going splatter-esque with its vision for bloody encounters. "Ebola Syndrome" is a blunt instrument, but when Yau isn't indulging his taste for screen chaos, he manages to provide a decent detective story at times, keeping things clear enough for recognizable conflicts to materialize, but only for brief amounts of time. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Frida Kempff doesn't simply want to revive the Hitchcock experience with "Knocking," though she doesn't turn down any opportunities for suspense. It's a simple premise concerning a woman haunted by unexplained noises in her apartment, but Kempff and writer Emma Brostrom strive to make a meaningful study of trauma and manipulation from a feminine perspective with "Knocking," adding as much subtext as possible without sacrificing the escalating tension of the picture, which is an effective offering of freak-out cinema. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When a small collection of indie filmmakers started making hits in the early 1990s, it created a gold rush for small-time producers hoping to bring oddball projects to the screen. The success of Quentin Tarantino and the Miramax Films team is clearly evident in 1996's "The Grave," with co-writers Josh and Jonas Pate (who also directs) cooking up a twisty, violent, and loquacious thriller that's also greatly influenced by the Coen Brothers and their particular way of bringing low-key insanity to a seemingly simple situation. The Pates pay careful attention to character and language with their endeavor, their first moviemaking opportunity, and that hunger to impress is the most memorable element in an otherwise adequate picture that's almost undone by obvious casting and one too many turns after a decent first act of intriguing introductions. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com