Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

Introductions are always important, helping the audience find the mood of the picture and begin to process characterizations as onscreen personalities start their journey. Writer/director Brandon Colvin isn't a fan of such immediate impressions, opening the endeavor with ten minutes of a man getting hurt after falling off his bike, also showing a friend his ability to trigger a click in his jaw. This material represents a good portion of "A Dim Valley," with Colvin in no hurry to introduce screen tension, motivations, or even a plot for this wandering effort, which is primarily about a marijuana- thwacked odyssey into the indie film unknown. "A Dim Valley" is strictly for audiences in an altered state of mind, working with vagueness to such a degree, I'm not even sure Colvin had anything written down before he started shooting the feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Apparently 1980's "Oh, God! Book II" wasn't quite the box office dud it originally appeared to be. Producers weren't done with George Burns in the eponymous role, but they waited four years to mount "Oh, God! You Devil," which returns the comedian to big screen action as the cigar-chomping deity, with the actor also playing Satan for this round of heavenly intervention. There's also a creative decision to avoid rehashing the original movie, with writer Andrew Bergman breaking away from expectations with his Faustian bargain plot, focusing on the Devil's attempts to collect on a soul contract signed by a depressed songwriter (Ted Wass) looking to become a rock god. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1977's "Oh, God!" was a little film from Warner Brothers that turned into a very big deal, becoming the ninth highest grossing movie of the year (right above "Annie Hall" and below "The Spy Who Loved Me"). It charmed audiences and, against all odds, turned senior comedian George Burns into a pop culture figure. A sequel was inevitable, and the story could logically continue with God and Jerry (John Denver) and their quest to restore faith across America. However, it didn't work out that way, with studio suits electing to basically remake the original endeavor with 1980's "Oh, God! Book II," which replaces Jerry with Tracy (Louanne), an 11-year-old girl who's visited by the wisecracking deity, put in charge of selling God to the country. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After taking a seven-year-long break from feature film direction after he unleashed the weirdness of "Where's Poppa?" on audiences, Carl Reiner decides to go a little softer on ticket-buyers, pairing with writer Larry Gelbart for 1977's "Oh, God!" An adaptation of a book by Avery Corman, the picture tries to create entertainment out of a potential nightmare, tracking the increasing panic of grocery store assistant manager Jerry (John Denver) as he's contacted by God (George Burns), asked to "spread the word" and give faith a boost during increasingly dark times. Reiner is here to make sure such a chilling premise remains approachable, giving "Oh, God!" an aimable vibe as jokes and belief come together, making some magic with the on-screen team of Denver and Burns. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Dreambuilders" is very reminiscent of "Inside Out," the 2015 Pixar Animation Studios hit that took audiences inside the mind of characters to meet their emotions, following their misadventures through the lively world of memories and general brain activity. I'm fairly sure the filmmakers behind "Dreambuilders" won't mind the comparison, as the Danish production is working hard to give off a Pixar vibe, combining cartoon antics with emotional trauma, only this odyssey takes place inside a dream space – a production area also explored in "Inside Out." Similarities are plentiful, but director Kim Hagen Jensen (who previously worked on "Rock-A-Doodle," "Ferngully: The Last Rainforest," and "A Troll in Central Park") makes a valiant attempt to create his own movie with a neat idea about the world beyond dreams, and creatures who make the magic happen. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Following up their work on the hits "Coraline" and "ParaNorman," animation studio Laika returns with yet another darkly comic vision in "The Boxtrolls," an adaptation of the book "Here Be Monsters!" Keeping to studio standards, the picture is a bizarre mix of the broad and the terrifying, handed a distinct English tilt this time around to perfect its dry sense of humor. As with everything Laika works on, "The Boxtrolls" is visually striking and intermittently amusing, but a little of this unusual world goes a long way, with pacing and story issues crippling an otherwise enjoyable romp through cheese worship and creature idiosyncrasies. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

From Henry Selick, the director of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "James and the Giant Peach" (and, well, "Monkeybone"), comes "Coraline," another foray into luxurious stop-motion animation and wildly imaginative fantasy visualization. It's a gorgeous picture to behold, but occasionally fails to beguile, as the surreal nature of the material often overwhelms basic storytelling requirements. "Coraline" is an easy film to admire, but not always to watch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After the success of "Star Wars" in 1977 and its sequels in the early 1980s, film producers scrambled to cash in on a trend, offering all sorts of low- budget productions meant to exploit sci-fi endeavors capable of beguiling audiences with action on a much smaller scale. Australia didn't want to be left out of the fun, turning to the complexity of time travel for their offering of blockbuster entertainment: 1987's "The Time Guardian." Co- writer/director Brian Hannant (co-writer of "The Road Warrior") makes a valiant effort to deliver something big with the picture, filling it with rampaging cyborgs, laser weapons, a massive ship, and a supporting turn from Princess Leia herself, Carrie Fisher. However, the helmer can't quite get the feature out of first gear, fighting to make sense of the story and characterization while visibly struggling with his limited funding, trying not to make the whole thing look ridiculous. He's not entirely successful with that mission, with "The Time Guardian" best appreciated by viewers used to the world of B-movies and their disappointing limitations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Co-writer/director Gary Marcum wanted to be a film director in the 1980s, and one of the few ways in for those without connections was the world of horror, offering instant marketplace appeal for any project looking to provide some frights. 1988's "Through the Fire" certainly resembles an effort to play into a trend, though Marcum doesn't have much of an imagination for creepy events, generally preferring to make a sluggish detective story instead. So much for genre thrills, leaving "Through the Fire" a tepid exploration of satanic doom and survivor panic, as Marcum doesn't aim high with the endeavor, more determined to complete the movie than work on its freak-out potential, missing a chance to do something alert with evil events and demonic stalking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1986's "The Lamp" was slightly reworked for American audiences, turned into 1987's "The Outing," a more generic title for an endeavor that's loaded with interesting oddity. Vinegar Syndrome restores the original film for this Blu-ray release ("The Outing" was previously issued by Shout Factory in 2015), presenting fans with a chance to see the feature as it was intended, exploring the wrath of a malevolent jinn trapped in a lamp, waiting for his chance to strike as teenagers spend the night inside a museum of natural science. There's a lot to process with the picture, which follows multiple characters with different motivations, and there's a magical element to the endeavor, with a wish- granting genie transformed into a diabolical, supernatural presence. Director Tom Daley and screenwriter Warren Chaney don't push too hard on the senses with the effort, sticking to slasher cinema formula as they invest ways to eliminate characters and cause on-screen mayhem. And they do a fine job of it, working with the weirdness of the material to deliver some decent grotesqueries and amusing personalities, keeping the production on the move. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director John McNaughton made a strong impression with his filmmaking debut, 1986's "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer." The potent horror movie launched the helmer as someone to watch, but it took some time for McNaughton to follow up his initial offering, returning in 1991 with "The Borrower," which is also a genre offering, but lacks the illness of "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer." McNaughton attempts to get a little broader with his follow-up, ditching grit and shock value for a flatter take on violence, flirting with sci-fi touches for "The Borrower," which tracks an alien serial killer's experience mangling human prey on Earth. It's not exactly a radical step forward for McNaughton, and his limited experience shows throughout the endeavor, which whiffs with dark comedy and seems genuinely confused when it comes to storytelling. It's a scattered feature that never comes together with authority, though it does work as a highlight reel of practical effects, with gory encounters and strange visions easily becoming the best parts of this uneven picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The kids aren't alright in "Sound and Fury," a 1988 feature written and directed by Jean-Claude Brisseau. He takes viewers to a small area of France, studying the dual experiences of Bruno (Vincent Gasperitsch), a young teen new to the area, and Jean-Roger (Francois Negret), a seasoned juvenile delinquent who becomes his friend. Incredible behavioral darkness ensues, as Brisseau looks into the ways of adult influence and responsibility, embracing the chaos that comes when young men are empowered to be a destructive as possible, losing their precious innocence in the process. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Many movies have explored the sport of arm wrestling, but there's only one film about the subculture that everyone remembers: the 1987 Sylvester Stallone flop, "Over the Top." The story of Lincoln Hawk and his fight for family and fortune on the arm-wrestling circuit was unintentionally ridiculous, and it provides some inspiration for "Golden Arm," which isn't a parody picture, but generally has the idea to use the sport as a way to showcase an enormous amount of silliness. The screenplay is credited to Ann Marie Allison and Jenna Milly, but their contributions are difficult to find, as "Golden Arm" is more of an improvisational festival, with the cast going riff-crazy to find the comedy of the endeavor, keeping the feature loose when it comes to jokes and rigid when it comes to plot. It's an amusing effort with plenty of arm-wrestling action, but structure isn't welcome, making the whole thing fatiguing long before it ends. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A highly respected and Academy Award-winning documentarian, Barbara Kopple wasn't content remaining the world of non-fiction filmmaking, crafting such important pictures as "American Dream" and "Harlan County U.S.A." She wanted something more for her career, soon overseeing episodes of "Oz" and "Homicide: Life on the Street," which brought her additional acclaim. Again, she wanted something more, finally landing a Hollywood studio gig with 2005's "Havoc," which was originally conceived by writer Jessica Kaplan, who pieced together an autobiographical story about suburban privilege and cultural appropriation before screenwriter Stephen Gaghan (fresh from his success with "Traffic") was hired for a rewrite. The creative talent driving "Havoc" is impressive, also offering star Anne Hathaway one of her earliest dramatic roles, but all that muscle can't lift this DOA project off the ground, as noble intentions to address the state of the Kids in America in the early 2000s transforms the feature into an unintentionally(?) hilarious parade of campy performances and ghastly dramatics. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The career highs and lows of director Larry Cohen are open for debate, but the helmer certainly created a peak in his filmography with 1985's "The Stuff," which vividly mixed horror and satire, taking on the 1980s with a clear vision for mischief. Never one to feel the pressure of performance, Cohen returned two years later with a pair of sequels nobody asked for, delivering "It's Alive III: Island of the Alive" and "A Return to Salem's Lot." Tasked with providing a follow-up to a 1979 television miniseries without material inspired by Stephen King's 1975 novel, Cohen elects to make the whole thing his way, enjoying artistic freedom as he crafts a riff on the original creation. Of course, Cohen doesn't have much money to do anything special with the material (co-written with James Dixon), so he tries to generate weirdness in his own low-budget way, transforming a vampire story into study of American independence and human survival, filling the production with odd casting choices, which gives the whole thing a strong community theater vibe. Those expecting a direct continuation of the Tobe Hooper T.V. event should be aware that Cohen isn't interested in sustaining the brand name, merely using it to provide his level of genre shenanigans. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Night" is an achievement in international filmmaking and distribution, with the Iranian/American co-production actually receiving a release in Iran, where the U.S. hasn't been represented in over 40 years. It's breakthrough work for co-writer/director Kourosh Ahari, who turns to the comfort of haunted house storytelling to help lure audiences into a strange study of guilt. "The Night" doesn't add anything new to the genre, and Ahari isn't attentive to pace, but he has a decent command of unnerving situations and unreality, finding ways to conjure chills and confusion between scenes of absolute stillness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Fire" initially appears to be Russia's answer to 2017's "Only the Brave," taking on a similar story of firefighter courage and sacrifice during a dangerous operation in the middle of a raging inferno. Hollywood glossiness is present in the feature, and director Alexey Nuzhny stays true to formula, offering an ensemble piece highlighting distinct personalities and their personal problems, giving the audience a chance to fall in love with these men before they face the ultimate test of their training. Perhaps that's really the major issue with the endeavor: it's not Russian enough. "Fire" has its cultural POV and quirks, but Nuzhny is aiming to make a grand disaster picture, and a few references to "Armageddon" aren't made on accident. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Dark Spell" is the latest offering from co-writer/director Svyatoslav Podgaevskiy, who previously helmed "Mermaid: Lake of the Dead" and "Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest." The Russian filmmaker is determined to make his fortune in horror, delivering another stab at genre glory in "Dark Spell." The endeavor has more in common with a CW Network program than a true chiller, with Podgaevskiy creating a grim game of love and obsession for a young woman who simply wants eternal devotion from the father of her child. As is the routine in this type of movie, nothing goes as planned, but what's surprising about "Dark Spell" is how unadventurous the production is save for a few grisly moments. It's about a demonic awakening, and yet very little cinematic threat is created, making for a tough sit with a bland effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"No Man's Land" begins in a Texas border town on the edge of the Rio Grande, but it largely plays out on the other side of river, in Mexico. This blurring of border and culture inspires parts of the screenplay, credited to David Barraza and Jake Allyn, who labor to build some level of suspense around a central ideal of understanding between fragile communities. It's an immigration story explored from a different perspective, and if "No Man's Land" remained there, providing a strange education for its characters, perhaps the picture might've been meaningful. Barraza and Allyn don't trust such softness of feeling, injected a tedious revenge subplot into the feature, which torpedoes much of its honest intent to study the bitter realities and karmic dangers of intolerance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1966's "Chamber of Horrors" was originally intended to be the start of a television series, with the pilot exploring the detective skills of two men who run a Baltimore house of wax, remaining close to the ways of evil. When the show was deemed too dark for network T.V., a theatrical release was cooked up, necessitating the addition of a William Castle-style gimmick to help encourage curious customers to purchase a ticket. With the "Horror Horn" and the "Fear Flasher," audiences were offered a chance to avoid promised on-screen violence, provided with warnings to get around the ghastly events making up the "Four Supreme Fright Points." As with many of these superbly marketed B-movies, there isn't really anything upsetting about "Chamber of Horrors," but what's refreshing about the endeavor is how well it's put together. While it's obviously intended for television, the film creates an engrossing tale of murder, revenge, and sleuthing with unusual participants, offering procedural elements and macabre ideas to secure interest in the ways of wax museum employees and the killer creep they're hunting down. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com