Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

Feel-good cinema receives a new offering in "Fisherman's Friends." After the recent release of "Military Wives," here comes another U.K. tale of an unlikely musical success, presenting those in the mood for comfortable entertainment with a mild ride of fish-out-of-water comedy, family ties, and business world deviltry. And there's plenty of music to help lift the production up. "Fisherman's Friends" isn't going to wow with originality, and thankfully director Chris Foggin has managed to preserve some level of charm, delivering a frightfully predictable but amiable movie that's incredibly easy on the senses. There are a few laughs, an engaged cast, and big, clear vocal performances, which help to distract from a connect-the-dots screenplay that has no discernable interest in providing anything more than what the audience expects from a cheery good time with characters from a quaint corner of the world. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the late 1980s, actress Sybil Danning was looking to change her career path. Typically employed in bombshell roles ("They're Playing with Fire," "Malibu Express"), Danning squeezed out of typecasting by taking more control over her employment options, portraying icier characters and ditching tight outfits. For 1989's "L.A. Bounty," Danning goes the extra mile, claiming a producing and a story credit for the picture, which introduces Ruger, a no-nonsense killer of men who prowls the Los Angeles area hunting for targets, cutting through the community in a ragged leather jacket and mom jeans. Danning presents herself as a royal punisher in "L.A. Bounty," and she fits the "Terminator"-esque part, handling the endeavor's level of violence and steely looks at cowardly targets. She's fun in an entertaining VHS-era actioner, with director Worth Keeter ("Mighty Morphin Power Rangers," "Silk Stalkings") keeping matters on the move with a basic tale of revenge and L.A.-based B-movie tourism. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The physical brutality of "Fight Club" is handed a makeover for "Chick Fight," which surveys the blood, sweat, and tears of an underground brawling club. A serious study of bare-knuckle liberation and cult formation is jettisoned for the new movie, which tends to play as more of a comedy, hoping to bring laughs to a chilling premise. Director Paul Leyen tries to bring some low-budget style to the endeavor, and screenwriter Joseph Downey labors to sustain character development between scenes of women beating the stuffing out of one another, yet "Chick Fight" has some wily energy to offer with a few sizable laughs. Downey can't resist the comfort of cliché to complete the picture, but he has some fun along the way, and the cast's enthusiasm for the material certainly helps the cause, especially when staleness sets in. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With a title like "Panic," there's a certain expectation in place that something suspenseful is going to occur over the course of the film. The 1982 production doesn't have that ambition, finding the title more of a bait-and-switch situation, luring viewers to a movie that's mostly about characters standing around, engaging in banal conversations. Director Tonino Ricci doesn't bring the thunder with the horror endeavor, which initially promises a spookier tale of a mutant on the loose during a viral outbreak. Murders occur, police are involved, but extraordinarily little happens in "Panic," which appears to have been created for the sole purpose of creating moments where topless women are terrorized by poorly made-up killer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There's been an influx of actors turning to direction in recent years. Just recently, Romola Garai found a spot helming the horror film "Amulet." And now there's James D'Arcy, who enjoyed roles in "Cloud Atlas," "Dunkirk," and Madonna's "W.E." The thespian makes his directorial debut with "Made in Italy," a dramedy about a father and son and their life-changing trip to Tuscany to deal with family business. D'Arcy claims a screenwriting credit as well, putting his heart and soul into the effort, and his commitment to the sincerity of the picture is commendable, dealing with deep-seated emotions and assorted matters of life and love. It's not a movie with dramatic sweep, but as something easy on the senses, "Made in Italy" is approachable, with some genuine humor and concern for its characters as they confront old business with fresh eyes. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With musician bio-pics all the rage these days, it's about time someone decided to bring the story of Helen Reddy to the screen. A powerhouse vocalist and cultural icon, Reddy (who sadly passed away last September) has experienced all the ups and downs of the music industry, also enduring a multitude of challenges in her personal life. She's a fascinating individual, but it's strange to watch "I Am Woman," which is more about her marriage to manager Jeff Wald than it is about Reddy's achievements and ambitions. Screenwriter Emma Jensen ("Mary Shelly") looks to honor Reddy, highlighting her as a key figure of the feminist movement with anthemic songs and fierce intelligence, but she makes a curious choice to downplay the individual to focus on the couple as they stumble through the years. There's more to Reddy than her self-destructive spouse, and it's very strange that "I Am Woman" doesn't recognize that, resulting in a disappointing film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Amid the sword and sorcery craze of the 1980s, someone, somewhere had the bright idea to skip the casting of B-movie actors with gym familiarity, going straight to the Schwarzenegger-ian source with Peter and David Paul. Labeled "the bad boys of bodybuilding," the Paul Brothers are gifted leading roles in "The Barbarians," which attempts to deliver a "Conan the Barbarian"-style fantasy adventure with muscle-bound heroes, only on a Cannon Films budget and the director of "Cannibal Holocaust" at the helm. Production polish isn't readily available, but the feature offers the sheer oddity of the Paul Brothers, who aren't trained actors but commit to the wacky world of "The Barbarians," suiting up in loincloth and wielding weapons, ready to participate in a picture that combines low-budget magic and stunt mayhem to give fans of the genre a decent distraction. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the early 1970s, while producers were creating heroes (and antiheroes) out of black characters with violent pictures, 1974's "Claudine" emerged as a softer understanding of struggle and survival. Written by Tina and Lester Pine, the tale features a mother of six kids trying to find a way to support her family, deal with employment, and care for her own mental health as she embarks on a new relationship. "Claudine" strives to be lighter at times, hoping to charm viewers with bright personalities, but there's also a rawness to the endeavor, with stars Diahann Carroll and James Earl Jones using the opportunity to deliver outstanding performances that feel every inch of stress the Pines create. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1981's "King of the Mountain" is based on a magazine article about the racing subculture in California, with young drivers using the curves and isolation of Mulholland Dr. to engage in reckless antics for cheap thrills and a sense of superiority. The movie avoids any real-world specifics, preferring to offer thinly sliced drama featuring friends coming to the end of their extended adolescence. Director Noel Nosseck and screenwriters Leigh Chapman and H.R. Christian don't scratch below the surface when it comes to growing pains, and they don't actually make much of a car racing feature, as "King of the Mountain" is as much about the dangers of the record industry as it is about roaring engines and displays of masculinity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

David Mamet is capable of doing many things, but he's primarily known for doing one thing. He's a writer who loves the razor edges of hard characters, often using meaty, profane dialogue to explore tough guys and their issues with male fragility. With "Glengarry Glen Ross," "American Buffalo," and "Oleanna," Mamet established himself as a formidable force on the theatrical scene. In movies, he's handled "House of Games" and "Homicide," making it a bit difficult to understand how this proudly R-rated man decided to have his way with the G-rated-ness of 1999's "The Winslow Boy." An offering from revered dramatist Terence Rattigan, the material is known for its rigid Britishness, providing Mamet with an adaptation challenge he's eager to conquer but doesn't exactly pull off. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While the world knows of "Friday the 13th Part III" and "Jaws 3-D," there were a few other titles in the early 1980s competing in the marketplace race to give genre fans their fill of 3-D action and horror during the format's brief resurgence. One of these titles is "Silent Madness," an ill-fated 1984 offering that elected to remain within slasher expectations to be please ticket-buyers, but the screenplay isn't 100% committed to the idea. Writers Bob Zimmerman and Bill Milling try to keep the feature as more of a mystery than a chiller for the first hour, eventually giving up with a more chase- heavy, bloody final reel of audience-pleasing bodily harm. "Silent Madness" is a strangely conceived picture, and not all that compelling for its first half, but once the production gets comfortable with its destiny the effort grows more entertaining, especially with select 3-D highlights and an unusual choice for a heroine. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After making low-budget movies about characters in tight situations, writer/director Allison Anders aims for something grander with 1996's "Grace of My Heart." It's a musical journey with a female POV, unofficially based on the experiences of Carol King as she tried to make her way through a male- dominated music industry, continuing Anders career pursuit of female-centric stories, exploring all the struggle and suppression the lead character encounters. The helmer's goal appears to be the creation of an epic featuring lots of personalities and locations, also tracking the development of a bright spirit diminished by outside forces, learning to trust her instincts again. The idea of "Grace of My Heart" is pure, but something happened to the endeavor on the way to a final cut, with clunky editing and a few mediocre performances throttling the overall arc of experience Anders is trying to communicate. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Today, we recognize Stan Winston as one of the greats in the world of special effects. He mastered the artform, bringing to life stunning creatures for classics such as "Aliens," "Terminator 2," and "Predator." Winston (who passed away in 2008) was a titan, but in 1987, he was looking to create a directorial career for himself, making his debut with 1988's "Pumpkinhead." The helmer is playing to his strengths with the picture, in charge of a revenge film that features an enormous monster on the hunt for helpless victims. The screenplay by Mark Patrick Carducci and Gary Gerani attempts to give the crisis weight, dealing with moral choices and the pain of guilt, but "Pumpkinhead" tends to reach fantastic genre highlights when it gets away from somewhat fatigued dramatics. It truly roars ahead with an intimidating demon and stunning practical effects from Winston and his incredible crew, who supply an atmospheric viewing experience with a memorable enemy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1972's "So Sweet, So Dead" is listed as a giallo, and it has most of the elements of one. There's a murderer on the loose, clad in black with a fondness for knives, stalking and slaughtering victims while a lone detective tries to predict the madman's next move before he strikes again. Director Roberto Bianchi Montero has the idea for a thriller, but he's a little distracted with the endeavor, which is more focused on getting actresses out of their clothes before requesting absolute hysterics during dying scenes. There's definitely a routine to "So Sweet, So Dead," and not a particularly riveting one, with the production more about sexploitation than becoming a ripping giallo. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1980's "Fade to Black" offers a fantastic idea for a serial killer story, examining the mental fracture of a film fan who's been rejected by his one true fantasy, taking out his rage on those who've wronged him, becoming screen icons to psychologically deal with his capacity for vicious violence. Writer/director Vernon Zimmerman only manages to get halfway with the concept, but the weirder side of the feature is quite interesting, hinting a wonderfully bonkers picture if Zimmerman paid a little closer attention to structure and casting. What's presented here has its moments, but it barely feels like a completed movie. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After making some noise with 1985's Mexican horror film, "Cemetery of Terror," writer/director Ruben Galindo Jr. tries to deliver something more Americanized for 1988's "Don't Panic." Unfortunately, the helmer doesn't have a game plan for the picture, which slaps together teen romance, family issues, and pieces of "A Nightmare on Elm Street," presented as a random ride between dimensions of reality featuring teen characters. The unintentional laughs come fast and furious with "Don't Panic," finding Galindo Jr. struggling to make sense of anything in the feature, fumbling with scares and unavoidable silliness as he attempts to pay tribute to the genre gods with this sloppy effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The company Airbnb has done a remarkable job transforming the vacation rental marketplace, and it's even more impressive how much it's influenced genre entertainment. Over the last few years, terror from the depths of luxury living has been explored in "Trespassers," "Welcome Home," "Tone- Deaf," and the recent "You Should Have Left." And now there's "The Rental," which also examines an unfolding nightmare facing a group of travelers looking for the perfect getaway, only to come up against an insidious enemy. The effort marks the feature-length directorial debut for Dave Franco (who co-scripts with Joe Swanberg), and he's done his homework, endeavoring to provide a spooky ride of mysterious events while gently working in a greater appreciation for character connections. He's making a relationship movie with a body count, and it's effective, more so when dealing with people and their problems than acts of murder. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1985's "Cemetery of Terror" represents the directorial debut for Ruben Galindo, Jr., and he keeps it simple for his first at-bat. It's a tale of resurrection and mayhem involving a large cast of young actors, and most of the feature involves looking for trouble and finding it in increasingly graphic ways. It's not a roller coaster ride, but "Cemetery of Terror" overcomes initial stasis to provide some excitement and gruesome events for genre fans, with the helmer finding his groove late in the movie, suddenly aware he has to offer a little more than banal conversations to delight the audience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Jose Ramon Larraz ("Vampyres," "Deadly Manor") tries to put together a haunted house experience with 1987's "Rest in Pieces." It's an admirable quest, but quite a difficult one to pull off without a decent budget or a professional cast. It's an uphill climb to frights for the production, which tries to generate some murderous events, but only between scenes of people unpacking luggage. It's difficult to understand what was going through Larraz's mind with "Rest in Pieces," which plays like a movie that had a screenplay, but still scrambles to find things to do to fill the run time, while the helmer's choice of a lead actress is downright bizarre, putting a lot of faith in Lorin Jean Vail and her complete inability to act. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There have been many movies and television programs devoted to the exploits of the Manson Family. Just last year, for the 50th anniversary of the Tate-LaBianca Murders, the film industry issued three pictures about the event, with two compelling overviews ("Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" and "Charlie Says") and one that was compete garbage ("The Haunting of Sharon Tate"). The particulars of cult power and ghastly crimes has been catnip to the storytellers for decades, but 1971's "The Other Side of Madness" is unique due to its timing. Director Frank Howard and producer Wade Williams jumped at the chance to explore the grim ways of the Manson Family before trials were even completed for the killers, giving them a shot to capitalize on a gruesome story, giving the gods of exploitation cinema an offering of in-the-moment horror. Of course, Howard and Williams forgot to create a screenplay for their endeavor, making "The Other Side of Madness" more of a curiosity than a compelling sit, with the feature mostly wandering around the era, going procedural without getting too specific about anything. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com