Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

Baba Yaga is commonly identified as a Slavic witch determined to haunt those daring to cross its path. The creature has been utilized as a threat in numerous features and makes a return to levels of menace with the Russian production, "Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest." Director Svyatoslav Podgaevskiy ("Mermaid: Lake of the Dead") appears eager to provide a scary movie, keeping the endeavor stylish and loaded with shadowy encounters. However, it's difficult to tell just what demographic he's looking to horrify, as the film follows the adventures of pre-teens, making "Baba Yaga: Terror of the Dark Forest" perhaps too graphic for young audiences, while older viewers will likely be left completely underwhelmed by the formulaic effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the years following the successful release of "First Blood," the world demanded a new generation of action heroes. Men of honor. Men of muscles. Men of limited dramatic ability. Co-writer/director David Fisher ("Liar's Moon") skips these requirements for 1984's "Toy Soldiers," bringing in 45-year-old Jason Miller to portray a tough, seasoned war veteran capable of taking on an entire Central America rebel army. In short shorts and a Rambo bandana. Miller's a fantastic actor, and he's trying to get something started for Fisher, teamed with a cast of young actors who don't really understand what they're doing in this supremely goofy actioner. While he doesn't have the physical presence of a powerhouse hero, Miller commits to the endeavor, giving "Toy Soldiers" some needed thespian emphasis while Fisher struggles to sell the central idea of kids saving kids in the middle of a dangerous foreign land. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There was once a time when Jake Kasdan was a very promising director. 1998's "Zero Effect" was a marvelous debut, defining Kasdan's love for strange characters and sly comedy, doing a terrific job reworking the detective movie. Kasdan would go on to oversee painful stuff like "Bad Teacher" and "Sex Tape," and he hit the box office jackpot with "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" and "Jumanji: The Next Level," but, in the mid-2000s, a Jake Kasdan offering was a welcome proposition, including 2006's "The T.V. Set." Channeling all his frustrations and experience in the television industry, Kasdan crafts a simple but effective overview of the hellacious creative process required to make a pilot, pulling back on outright farce to linger on the misery of frustration as a single idea for a show is sent through a system designed to ruin everything interesting about it. The lived-in quality of "The T.V. Set" is remarkable, allowing Kasdan to deliver a therapeutic endeavor with some decent laughs and an engrossing understanding of industry ego and stupidity. It's a clear vision for satire, only there appears to be extraordinarily little exaggeration in play, making the picture wonderfully direct in its honesty. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While a respected filmmaker, Nicolas Roeg certainly struggled in the 1980s and '90s to match his impressive run of features in the 1970s. There was "Walkabout," "Don't Look Now," and "The Man Who Fell to Earth." These were challenging, enigmatic pictures that cemented his reputation as a helmer searching for artful ways to explore the human condition. A year after his unlikely employment at the director of "The Witches," Roeg tries to reconnect with his heyday for 1991's "Cold Heaven." An adaptation of a novel by Brian Moore, Roeg returns to the mysterious ways of life and death, reviving "Don't Look Now" ideas to keep viewers unsettled as he mounts a mix of horror and religion. Well past his prime, the blend of Christian suffering and mystery eludes Roeg's control this time around, as "Cold Heaven" doesn't connect in any profound way, often caught struggling to sell its elusiveness without providing a proper reward for such attention. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Left with a usable set and some additional Edgar Allan Poe inspiration, director Alan Birkinshaw and screenwriter Michael J. Murray move from 1989's "The House of Usher" to "The Masque of the Red Death," hoping to squeeze a second picture out of the deal. Instead of going gothic with a faithful retelling of the original Poe story, the team elects to create a modern house party murder game with the elements, keeping the budget low and casting awkward as they attempt to execute a blunt slasher movie with little inspiration. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Def-Con 4" is not a remarkable film, but it remains memorable due to its home video history. There wasn't a video store around in 1985/86 that didn't have a poster for the feature displayed prominently, and what tremendous artwork New World Pictures commissioned for the release. There was the image of a giant spaceship loaded with bombs, a city in ruins in the background, and the gruesome appearance of a skeleton inside an astronaut suit. If you happened to be a kid during these years, it was the stuff of nightmares, and if you happened to be old enough to rent movies, it was a likely choice for a potentially spooky weekend viewing. Of course, the actual "Def-Con 4" isn't anything near what's promised on the one-sheet, with the small-time, low-budget Canadian production a happy recipient of the Roger Corman Special: suck them in with glorious art, deal with disappointment later. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The frolicking and playful mischief of a traditional beach party movie isn't going to fly in the 1970s, inspiring writer Ned Wynn (who appeared in several Annette Funicello/Frankie Avalon pictures) to attempt something with a little more dramatic substance for 1978's "California Dreaming." At least for a little while. Trying to offer audiences more in the way of character development and feeling while still indulging adolescent shenanigans, the feature has something of a personality, dealing with self-destructive behaviors and challenging relationships, also bringing in a cast eager to offer more than just a basic routine of teen lust and cartoon antagonism. "California Dreaming" ultimately gets too heavy for its own good, but the first two acts manage to avoid a few expectations, with Wynn interested in generating a community atmosphere filled with odd people either hoping to achieve or actively deny their dreams. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Britt Allcroft struck gold when she figured out a way to translate the works of author Wilbert Awdry into "Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends," a British television show that began life in 1984. What started as a small offering of children's entertainment grew into a phenomenon, enjoying huge ratings, a massively successful merchandise push, and an American transition in "Shining Time Station," bringing Thomas fever overseas. Allcroft eventually set her sights on the big screen, combining worlds for 2000's "Thomas and the Magic Railroad," taking command of the production as a co-writer/director, attempting to add to the realms of Sodor and Shining Time with a more sophisticated adventure for human and trains. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As a comedic force of nature, there are few industry professionals working today as talented as Martin Short. He's a legend in the business, skilled with silliness, but also a fiercely gifted actor with a proven resume on television and on the stage. It's his movie career that's been a strange ride for the star, finding the demands of film production often unable to bring out his best, muting his sharp wit and endless interest in mischief. In 1990, Short had minor successes and positive notices in a handful of disparate offerings ("Three Fugitives," "Three Amigos," and "Innerspace"), but "Clifford" was meant to really play to his strengths, gifting him a chance to portray a devilish 10-year-old boy, despite being 40 years of age at the time. It's certainly not the strangest idea to come out of Hollywood, but "Clifford" is out there, asking viewers to go along with a visual concept that's bizarre from any angle, while the story itself mostly involves aggressive interplay between Short and his co-star, Charles Grodin. There are plenty of laughs here, and Short is clearly having a ball portraying a Damien-like kid, but the picture is an acquired taste, built for those who enjoy their slapstick seasoned with a little anger and volume. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2018's "B: The Beginning" is hoping to distinguish itself in the crowded world of Japanese animation by offering fans of the subgenre a byzantine story to follow. What appears to begin as a police thriller about a vigilante serial killer soon spins off into a hundred different directions, covering myth, sci- fi, fantasy, kink, and action. There's a lot on the show's plate, and the production team isn't completely interested in untangling many of its plot threads. "B: The Beginning" is artfully made and impressively expansive, but such ambition doesn't result in a clear, concise understanding of the characters and their goals, which would be of great assistance to those untrained in the anime way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1974's "Death Wish" was a big deal in the careers of actor Charles Bronson and director Michael Winner. It not only gave them a big hit to sustain their careers, it delivered a vivid portrayal of vigilante violence that spawned numerous imitators, endeavoring to supply an imagined sense of emotional realism when dealing with exploitation cinema. While a singular viewing experience, the feature inspired a sequel in 1982, with Cannon Films sensing a future in the brand name, putting Winner and Bronson back to work with an unnecessary continuation that began to bend the franchise into absurdity while trying to remain serious about acts of revenge. For 1985's "Death Wish 3," there was nothing left in the creative tank, giving Winner a chance to run wild with the one-man-army concept, pitting Bronson against a street gang in an NYC brawl, offering no social commentary or interesting psychological analysis. It's just an over-the-top battle royal with mindless violence, thinly sketched characters, and a single city block to destroy. And that's exactly what makes "Death Wish 3" so compulsively watchable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With 2002's "Ghost Ship," Dark Castle Entertainment attempted something original after managing two William Castle remakes with "House on Haunted Hill" and "Thirteen Ghosts." Well, perhaps not truly original (1980's "Death Ship" is clearly an influence on the production), but definitely not Castle, with the production company trying to cement their position as a Halloween machine, churning out fright films on a yearly basis. Trouble is, "Ghost Ship" isn't a very scary movie, with screenwriters Mark Hanlon and John Pogue missing spectral menace in their offering of boat-bound terror, leaving the feature slack and tedious as they focus on characters who aren't very interesting, trapped in a nightmare that's not particularly horrifying. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Becky" is being sold as the dramatic debut for comedian Kevin James. I'm not sure if that's accurate, as I saw "Grown Ups 2" on opening night in a half-full auditorium, and nobody was laughing. But who am I to get in the way of marketing? The great news is that James tries to be steely and humorless here, and he does a fantastic job playing a menacing character. Even better, "Becky" is an absolute blood-drenched joyride of a film; a revenge picture that's lean, mean, and unexpectedly interested in the bodily harm a 13-year-old kid can inflict on the Nazi goons looking to destroy everything she holds dear. Directors Jonathan Milott and Cary Murnion don't pull any punches with their endeavor, offering a nightmarishly graphic descent into feral outbreaks of grief, going wild with B-movie bedlam from an unlikely source of rage. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While it was once intended to be a sequel to 1975's "Death Race 2000," 1978's "Deathsport" gradually became its own thing as it sped toward production. Instead of satiric hellraising with a wacky cast of characters, "Deathsport" offers a futuristic barbarian adventure with grunting actors, dastardly villains, and lots of motorcycle chases. Directors Nicholas Niciphor and Allan Arkush are more interested in completing the feature than perfecting it, delivering a Roger Corman production that falls in line with many before it, gifting a backyard production to an audience hungry for B- movie nonsense. The endeavor isn't polished, but as these junky things tend to go, it's diverting, speeding along with fast vehicles and survival missions, and some light world-building doesn't hurt. It's no Corman classic, but the energy of the effort is engaging, along with the creative drive to turn absolutely anything into a post-apocalyptic epic. There's charm in the visible filmmaking hustle. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the mid-1980s, Cannon Films struck gold with "Missing in Action," hiring Chuck Norris to topline a broad study of American military heroism behind enemy lines. Producers Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus were quick to exploit the Norris-y vibe for additional productions, delivering "Invasion U.S.A." and a "Missing in Action" prequel, eventually going all-in on 1986's "The Delta Force," pairing the action star with 62-year-old Lee Marvin for a semi-disaster picture spotlighting an attempt to rescue hostages from a hijacked airplane. Although inspired by real events, "The Delta Force" is really a cartoon from Golan, who takes directorial duties (also co-writing the script with James Bruner), striving to merge Middle Eastern pressure points with a rah-rah tale of an American-led takedown of bad guys, and, at 129 minutes in length, he truly takes his time to get to the good stuff. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The director of "Unmade Beds" and "Frogs for Snakes," Amos Poe tries to summon the real New York City as it was in the mid-1980s for "Alphabet City." The 1984 release takes audiences into a dangerous area populated with drug dealers, addicts, and prostitutes, endeavoring to explore a survival story involving a young hoodlum who's has enough of crime. Poe does better with atmosphere than storytelling with the feature, as "Alphabet City" does just fine as a tour of community devastation and troubling individuals, with the central character trying to manage a typical evening while an unusual problem grows in urgency over the course of the night. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987's "The Caller" is a movie that's not easy to describe. Doing so in any meaningful way might slip into spoiler territory, as the screenplay by Michael Sloan loves its slow build to a surprise. Think of it as an extended episode of "The Twilight Zone," with Sloan trying to find his way through a tale of confrontation and paranoia without unleashing the weirdness of it all too soon, keeping director Arthur Allan Seidelman on his toes dreaming up ways to turn mysterious antagonisms between two characters into a feature-length story. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

What makes 1985's "The Heavenly Kid" at least passably interesting is the way it tries to play into the teen horndog cinema trend of the day while also questing to be a bit sweeter than the usual routine. Co-writer/director Cary Medoway attempts to remain above the nonsense that usually emerges with lustful ways, bending the tale to be more about characters than basic adolescent gratification. It doesn't make the movie a classic, but it doesn't push the effort along with a compelling level of gentleness, even when it deals with leering camerawork and, well, lots of death. Medoway provides a pleasant ride with a strange situation of angelic protection and leadership, landing the essentials of the endeavor thanks to a capable cast and screenwriting (sharing duties with Martin Copeland) that's aiming a bit higher to connect with viewers, going for the heart instead of just the crotch. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the post-Rambo haze of the mid-1980s, Cannon Films was hunting for heroes, and ones who could believably mow down enemy forces and still pay tribute to American patriotism. For 1987's "Death Before Dishonor," the production talked Fred Dryer into making the leap from his small screen success on the T.V. show "Hunter" to a big screen actioner where he was the main attraction. Suiting up to play a Marine on the warpath, Dryer singlehandedly keeps the feature together, offering full commitment to the militaristic elements of the production, and he's an ideal tough guy for Terry Leonard, a stunt man (most famous for his work on "Raiders of the Lost Ark") making his directorial debut. "Death Before Dishonor" is crude entertainment, but as these one-man-army efforts go, Dryer is capable of summoning the right amount of fury to help the feature find its way to a satisfying conclusion. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The world of used cars has been explored before in film, with 1980's aptly titled "Used Cars" using the unscrupulous behavior of salesman and their lust for money to inspire a farce about the business and all the crooks involved in it. The Robert Zemeckis feature had a lot of fun using exaggeration to manage unpleasant business, with star Kurt Russell delivering one of his best performances as an auto lot hustler who can't help himself when it comes to opportunity. For 1999's "Suckers," co-writer Joe Yannetty offers a more realistic take on the car sales game, putting years of experience on the page for co-writer/director Roger Nygard, who tries to transform the awfulness of the industry into an approachable picture highlighting a collection of reprehensible characters. It's a tonal tightrope walk Nygard can't complete, but "Suckers" does have a lived-in feel that keeps it compelling for its first half, presenting an insider look at the gamesmanship of being a salesman, where nothing is off the table when comes to completing a deal. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com