Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

Spending a whopping ten years in production, "Another Day of Life" endeavors to share the experiences of Ryszard Kapuscinski, a Polish journalist who strived to dissect and report on the Angolan Civil War in 1975. Aiming for a more artful (and less expensive) way to detail such a perilous journey, directors Raul de la Fuente and Damian Nenow turn to motion capture animation to bring the tale to life, giving them access to visual elasticity as the story winds through bitter realities and growing nightmares. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Adapting a French novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, co-writer/director Eric Red aims to create a classier style of horror movie with 1991's "Body Parts." One could argue the picture isn't very scary at all, showing more effectiveness as a Hitchcockian thriller concerning a good man's interactions with a bad arm. Red isn't a refined filmmaker, and he wrestles with his B-movie instincts here, endeavoring to make a considered character piece that also doubles as cinematic excitement. Nail-biting material doesn't dominate "Body Parts," as Red has better luck with mystery elements, generating more interest in the central puzzle of transplant surgery and donor shock than the visceral detours of the feature, which play into snoozy slasher routine. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I'm sure somewhere there's a story about the making of 1984's "Zombie Island Massacre." It's doubtful this was the picture's original title, with Troma Films getting their grubby hands on the movie for distribution, putting their specialized spin on marketing efforts that emphasized undead happenings that aren't actually in the feature. Of course, this is nothing new for Troma, as the company always makes a mad dash to the easiest sellable elements with hopes to turn acquisition pennies into box office nickels. However, with "Zombie Island Massacre," there's a little more on the menu than a genre stomp, finding the screenplay offering a hazy game of misdirection to best secure some level of surprise as a horror endeavor gradually becomes an episode of "Miami Vice." It's strange work that doesn't do well with expectations, but more relaxed minds willing to accept a move away from straight- up frights might finds something different here. Not outstanding, just different. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1988's "Flesh-Eating Mothers" isn't a scary movie, even though it deals with a somewhat serious topic of infidelity and the plague of sexually transmitted diseases. Co-writer/director James Aviles isn't comfortable treating such issues with any sort of dramatic concentration, instead trying to make a genre ride with the endeavor, which is always hunting for laughs to best support the rather gruesome plot. "Flesh-Eating Mothers" has a great title, as eye-catching as can be, and Aviles has a vision for ridiculousness for the feature, which is most fun when it has something to do, dealing with cannibalistic moms and the kids they devour. It's only a shame there isn't more effort from Aviles to fill the film with incident, as it takes one too many breathers during the run time, more concerned about making it to 90 minutes than providing a propulsive sense of twisted entertainment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Wave" approaches ideas on conscience and karmic balance through the cinematic reverberations of psychedelic drugs. Director Gille Klabin is prepared to take the audience on a special mind-bending ride, armed with distinct visuals and doses of CGI, while instructing star Justin Long to capture the finer points of mental and physical alarm as his character is sent through time and space to deal with his issues as a human being in a dangerous position of power. "The Wave" has a simple message of personal inventory to study, and Klabin tries to capture audience attention through bursts of chaos, hoping to wind up the feature as a manic sprint through different realities. It's not an especially ambitious production, and not entirely compelling either, but it does have a certain energy at times to keep it going, with Long working hard to communicate the inner melt of a troubled man. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Trying to compete with the big titles of American slasher entertainment in the late 1970s and early 1980s, Canada delivers "My Bloody Valentine," which was partially funded by taxpayer money. In return for government coin, viewers receive an idiosyncratic horror endeavor, where a pack of twentysomething miners and the women who love them are forced to survive the dangers of Valentine's Day, dodging pickaxe swings from a forgotten killer who's returned to make sure nobody celebrates the holiday. Director George Mihalka has a distinct setting for the tale, which takes place in a remote mining town, with most of the action heading into the depths to take advantage of dark passageways and claustrophobic spaces. While it lacks production polish, "My Bloody Valentine" has a different sort of appreciation for character and masked menace, while Mihalka serves up the gore with a few inventive kills, trying to remain as intense as possible within subgenre expectations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While director David Cronenberg mastered his own remake with 1986's "The Fly," it's difficult to imagine anyone having the bravery to rework one of his pictures. Jen and Sylvia Soska step up to the challenge of reinterpretation with "Rabid," which is an update of a 1977 Cronenberg hit, and a particularly gruesome one at that. The Soska Sisters are no strangers to the gore zone, and while they can't possibly outgun Cronenberg, they remain respectful of his strangeness, doing very well with the ghoulish oddity of the material, finding some fresh ideas with old ideas. "Rabid" delivers the violent goods with enthusiasm, with the Soskas once again commanding an engaging, grotesque genre offering, continuing their impressive run of B- movie delights. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The cover art for the Blu-ray release of 2007's depicts a loveable moment between a young boy and the Kappa, or water monster, he's befriended. The actual movie is a bit more sobering than the sunny image suggests, with the picture an adaptation of novels by Masao Kogure, offering a deeper understanding of the central relationship as it's challenged by cruelty and chaos over one distinctly adventurous season. Yes, there's cute stuff in here too, but director Keiichi Hara isn't trying to make another "E.T." with the story, willing to maintain its heavier violence to deliver a more nuanced exploration of a unique visitation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"You'll Never Be Alone" is a story about parenthood, and it takes its time exploring the urgency of the job as it's suddenly called into duty after an act of violence. The 2016 Chilean production has a lot more on its mind than simple fatherly protection, but this simple crisis of doubt gets the picture surprisingly far, creating distinct waves of fear and doubt. Writer/director Alex Anwandter strives to understand the somewhat strained ties that bind with "You'll Never Be Alone," which focuses on character, not necessarily incident to best conjure drama, emerging with a heartfelt understanding of protection and all the messiness it brings. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Murray Langston achieved a mild degree of success as a comedian in the 1970s, making the rounds on television variety shows and "Candid Camera," trying to build demand for his services. Fame was elusive, forcing Langston to take a gig on "The Gong Show," carrying such shame about the appearance, he decided to cover his head with the paper bag and tell jokes as "The Unknown Comic." The bit, meant to be a lark, ended up taking Langston to the big time, finding his hook as a speedy jester without an identity. "Night Patrol" is created to do something with that pop culture visibility, with Langston co-writing and starring in a picture that's meant to showcase his abilities as a leading man and celebrate his sense of humor, calling in comedy club pals to help boost the marketplace appeal of the feature. The 1984 endeavor is certainly the work of Langston, who puts his faith in director Jackie Kong (who also co-scripts) to translate his brand of funny business to the big screen. The result is an extraordinarily painful viewing experience, with "Night Patrol" intentionally striving to be odious and lazy, finding Kong way out of her element as a mastermind of silliness, while Langston's taste in punchlines is remarkably dire. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Horror fanatics love a monster battle royal, and 1970's "Assignment Terror" is happy to deliver one…eventually. The picture revives international concepts of the Wolfman, the Mummy, Dracula, and Frankenstein's Monster for a clash of the titans, with the enemies permitted a few showdowns during the runtime, giving the faithful some fantasy violence to feed daydreams. But, for some reason, creature clashes are not the entire focus of "Assignment Terror," which also manages a bizarre, borderline incomprehensible plot about an alien takeover of Earth. I don't think most audiences really care about storytelling when it comes to this type of entertainment. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Many filmmakers have attempted to adapt the essentials of the 1818 novel, "Frankenstein," trying to remain respectful of author Mary Shelley's original work while embarking on narrative detours to best fit their movie's mood or setting. The basics are nothing new, but writer/director Larry Fessenden attempts to achieve a modern understanding of Shelley's nightmare, going the low-budget route with "Depraved," looking to pull together a gothic chiller with limited resources. The effort is commendable, and Fessenden has something to say about the human experience as it exists today in a cruel world, but he certainly takes his time to say it, working very deliberately with a picture that could use a few boosts of urgency, giving the central crisis a real cinematic grip. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Joining the list of movies addressing police violence in America, "My Name is Myeisha" at least tries to do something different with its tale of a young life taken by a cop with an itchy trigger finger. Instead of generating a mournful understand of loss, co-writer/director Gus Krieger endeavors to explore events that shaped the deceased's experiences, adapting a play by Rickerby Hinds that's more about performance art than a gritty understanding of an oncoming crime. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After experiencing a creative flame-out with 1985's "Avenging Angel," co-writer/director Robert Vincent O'Neil taps out of the franchise for 1988's "Angel III: The Final Chapter," replaced by Tom DeSimone, who brings his experience in the adult film business to the B-movie needs of the third Angel adventure. Any trace of L.A. grime has been wiped away for the second sequel, which delivers a flashier, shiner descent into the horrors of sexual exploitation, never straying far from formula. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In January, 1984, New World Pictures released "Angel." Not expecting much from the feature, it turned out to be a minor hit for the company and wildly profitable for its producer, Sandy Howard, who wanted a sequel right away. Exactly 12 months later, "Avenging Angel" was hurled into cinemas, with returning screenwriters Joseph Michael Cala and Robert Vincent O'Neil (who directs once again) tasked with recapturing the same box office levels, only without the same type of movie, inching the franchise toward actioner interests, while losing star Donna Wilkes, replaced here with Betsy Russell. "Angel" went to dark psychological spaces, laboring to avoid becoming just another sexploitation romp in a saturated marketplace. "Avenging Angel" is quick to become junk food, turning the main character into a Pam Grier type as the series quickly becomes traditional VHS fodder. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Sexploitation goes kind of sad in 1984's "Angel," which was marketed brilliantly by the folks at New World Pictures, promising audiences a sleazy endeavor tracking the daily life of a "High School Honor Student by Day, Hollywood Hooker by Night." It's quite the come-on, but the screenplay by Joseph Michael Cala and Robert Vincent O'Neil (who also directs) isn't interested in providing cheap thrills with this chiller. It's grittier than it initially appears, with "Angel" concentrating on the suspense of a serial killer story, but also the weariness of the titular character's life as she tries to keep her head above water. There's a certain level of realism to go with B-movie activity, which doesn't exactly welcome viewers to what's truly an incredible downer, but it does make the endeavor compelling to certain extent. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Throughout the 1980s and '90s, Peter Berg was a character actor trying to make his way through the industry, acquiring supporting roles and finding success as a cast member on the television series, "Chicago Hope." However, his real dream was to be a director, making his feature-length filmmaking debut with 1998's "Very Bad Things," also claiming credit for the screenplay. While often playing mild men as a thespian, Berg goes hog- wild as a helmer, creating a black comedy with profound depths of bad behavior, always trying to find the darkly humorous potential of characters engaged in destructive antics that involve multiple murders. Berg unleashes his id with "Very Bad Things," trying to make a distinct impression with a manic effort that's not short on macabre incidents, but remains laugh-free as it lovingly details ugliness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Satan was the new black in the 1970s, and Hammer Films wasn't about to let such a trend get away from them without a distinct cinematic offering. "To the Devil a Daughter" is an adaptation of a Dennis Wheatley novel, pitting a writer against forces of evil who want to have their way with a teenage girl. While Hammer is trying to compete with "The Exorcist" and its numerous rip-offs, they also try to play up their particular brand of British horror, with director Peter Sykes in charge of restrained emotions and eerie encounters, bringing in studio legend Christopher Lee to make some macabre magic for the then-ailing company. Unfortunately, there's not enough shock value in "To the Devil a Daughter," which definitely has select moments of superb illness and tension, but also comes across incomplete, watching as a complicated story involving rebirth, protection, sacrifice, and temptation slowly marches toward a rushed ending that isn't the least bit satisfying. The greatest trick the Devil even pulled was convincing Hammer to enter production without a finished screenplay. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The idea behind 1991's "Mom" is a good one, with writer/director Patrick Rand (credited as an editor on "Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure") attempting to make a monster movie with a sympathetic creature, turning a loving matriarch into an unwilling, but bloodthirsty menace. It's one thing to feel bad for Frankenstein's Monster, who was born into a world of pain and confusion, but here the villain is dear old mama, with the screenplay exploring how such a tender force of good is transformed into a big problem for her profoundly disturbed son. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987's "Hotel Colonial" is a forgotten film with known stars, sucked into the black hole of obscurity for features that just weren't strong enough to stand the test of time. It's not a particularly strong endeavor, with co-writer/director Cinzia Th. Torrini lacking an appreciation for pace and tense dramatics, but she's pretty good with oddity, making room for several bewildering moments that should rightfully attract fans of moviemaking strangeness in international offerings. It's not every day a picture comes along offering the sight of Robert Duvall in a blonde wig wrestling a python. There's a cult classic in here somewhere. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com