Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

Writer/director Mike Leigh went uncharacteristically big in his last picture. Working under a sizable budget (for Leigh at least) and a different sense of scope, the helmer launched a historical epic in 2018's "Peterloo," but audiences weren't very interested in watching the lengthy endeavor. Instead of trying to top himself, Leigh returns to the intimacies of a domestic drama in "Hard Truths," which plays to his strengths as a storyteller favoring tough tales of distraught people recognizing the difficulties of their lives. Leigh doesn't go easy on the audience with the effort, taking a close look at a woman managing all sorts of mental health issues while handling family demands. "Hard Truths" cuts to the core with its study of emotional and physical pain, and while the cast is exceptional here, the feature fully belongs to star Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who provides a full-body understanding of a calcified person unwilling to participate in the world any longer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1993, there was "Jurassic Park." The feature was born to become event cinema, putting director Steven Spielberg to work transforming a Michael Crichton book into a must-see movie, and even better, the effort delivered on a huge scale. It was a technical marvel and a thrilling ride, and because "Jurassic Park" fulfilled its monetary and creative potential, Hollywood clearly wanted another one. "Congo" is also based on a Crichton book, and one that returns to the deep jungle to revisit exploration and animal threats, but there's no Spielberg to be found here. Instead, there's Frank Marshall, Spielberg's trusty producer who helped bring classics such as "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Poltergeist" pass the finish line. Marshall's directorial career started with promise, finding some sensitivity in 1993's "Alive," and he channeled his boss's way with suspense in 1990's "Arachnophobia." "Congo" seems like a slam-dunk production, but the dino odyssey was smoothly crafted and superbly acted. The gorilla chiller is clunky, campy, and strangely ineffective when summoning big screen thrills. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After dealing with the demands of supporting work and bad movies for a decade, Sharon Stone finally broke through to the big time in 1992's "Basic Instinct," making her mark in a charged erotic thriller. Naturally, Hollywood wanted another one just like it, positioning 1993's "Sliver" as Stone's next step toward superstardom, playing to her physical and performance strengths as another character caught up in a murder mystery and sexual games. Director Phillip Noyce (fresh off the success of "Patriot Games") and screenwriter Joe Eszterhas (who wrote "Basic Instinct") are certainly prepared to deliver a spicy, spooky understanding of personal issues and primal attraction, but "Sliver" is slippery, and it eventually succumbs to stupidity (courtesy of clumsy reshoots). However, all is not lost, finding mood to the offering that's initially appealing, as Noyce attempts to craft something seductive and disturbing with this take on voyeurism. It has its moments before it completely falls apart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Screenwriter Steve Kloves would go on to help create the cinematic world of the "Harry Potter" franchise, and even contributed to the bigness of superhero cinema in "The Amazing Spider-Man." In the early 1980s, he was just a struggling writer trying to sell a script, finally landing an opportunity with 1984's "Racing with the Moon." Kloves crafts a literary style understanding of youth during the tense years of World War II, following the exploits of two young men dealing with the reality of military service as they cling to the frivolity of their teenage years. It's a coming-of-age tale in many ways, giving director Richard Benjamin opportunities to explore sensitive days of concern and excitement as the characters come into contact with emotional experiences at home while facing possible finality oversees. "Racing with the Moon" commences with interesting scenes of friendship and courtship, as Benjamin really captures the wartime mood, also doing well setting up relationships. It's the last act that takes the material to a dramatic place it can't handle, as Kloves struggles to find a way out of the story, heading in the wrong direction as melodrama floods the endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Ghost Cat Anzu" is an adaptation of a manga series that began in 2006. Directors Yoko Kuno and Nobuhiro Yamashita have quite the dramatic challenge in the material, which initially delivers a mild sense of comedy and episodic experiences, only to end with a battle between supernatural forces. The first half of the picture works the best, capturing a very strange but amusing sense of oddity with the eponymous character and his daily adventures. Once heavier plotting and fantasy worlds join the endeavor, "Ghost Cat Anzu" loses most of its appeal. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Before "South Park" dominated pop culture, before "Team America" could save the world, and before "Orgasmo" could…gasmo, there was 1993's "Cannibal! The Musical." Initially conceived by writer/director Trey Parker as a student project for the University of Colorado Boulder film program, the effort was soon stretched to a feature-length undertaking, exploring the days of convicted cannibal Alferd Packer with help from a little song and dance. The picture is really the first shot fired in Parker's movie musical career (developed throughout "South Park" before graduating to Broadway with "The Book of Mormon"), and while "Cannibal! The Musical" is rough around the edges and could use a great deal of editorial tightening, it remains a striking achievement in low-budget cinema. Filled with humor, creativity, and an accomplished soundtrack of memorable tunes, the offering is something of a triumph for Parker and his team, who manage to show real talent in their debut, and these gifts would go on to be developed with help from Hollywood money. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Screenwriters Tesh Guttikonda and Kurtis Harder (who also directs) wade into the murky waters of social media domination in "Influencer." They're not making a horror movie with the subculture's frightening ways, but a slow-burn thriller, clearly influenced by author Patricia Highsmith and her novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," looking to replicate some of the same character tensions. The story follows the dangerous days of a young woman who's tired of culture invaders, looking to mess up many lives as she executes a special plan of torment for her victims and their narcissistic ways. "Influencer" captures a unique intensity and level of psychological corruption in its first half, only to lessen suspense as the tale becomes something of a detective story as it nears its conclusion. It's not consistent, but it mostly works, giving viewers a decent ride of eeriness and mental illness on both sides of the criminal situation. The writing also pokes at the business of social media, challenging a few points of power as it gradually shapes an examination of doom. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Gregg Araki. He's a filmmaker specializing in provocative features that largely explore the ways of sex and violence. He emerged in the 1990s, riding an indie film wave with his hostile endeavors, charming art house audiences with his aggressive viewpoint and creative freedom, amassing cult fandom with releases such as "The Doom Generation," "Nowhere," and "Totally F***ed Up." In 2004's "Mysterious Skin," Araki dared to go a little deeper, exploring the abyssal pain of abuse and neglect, shedding most of his artistic hostility to be sincere for a change. Perhaps such a deep dive into the horrors of life was too much for the helmer, who tries to shed his funk in 2007's "Smiley Face," which is as polar opposite a production as possible. Instead of inspecting depression and personal ruin, Araki turns to a streak of silliness for a stoner comedy, out to capture the comedic experience of a young woman battling her impossible high, pulling herself beyond the confines of her apartment to deal with the challenges of society and responsibility. It's pure stupidity from Araki, who's not known for his light sense of humor, and this lack of practice is quite evident in "Smiley Face." It has Anna Faris in full goofball mode, which is a treat, but she's the only element in the effort that's worth following, as the rest of the offering can't rise above dismal ideas for comedy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Bart La Rue was a working actor during the 1960s and '70s, trying to land choice parts like so many of his peers. He had the benefit of a defined speaking voice, but not much luck when it came to professional success, handling small parts on television shows such as "The Brady Bunch," "Star Trek," "Bonanza," and "Mission: Impossible." La Rue also tried his luck in filmmaking, launching directorial ambitions with 1975's "The Ark of Noah," playing into the decade's interest in documentaries about strange phenomena and legends. His helming career promptly died with 1979's "Satan War," and perhaps for good reason. La Rue attempts to follow the Satanic Panic trends of the decade during this take on a haunted house tale, observing a married couple and their minimal efforts to do something about an evil presence that won't exit their newly purchased home. "Satan War" is a no- budget offering from La Rue, who doesn't have a story to share with the endeavor, just ideas for haunted moments. It's a long journey with the characters and their inability to accept obvious doom, and La Rue is in no rush to get anywhere in the picture, making for a painfully dull sit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Of course, the title "Child's Play" conjures images of a horror franchise that's arguably carried on for far too long. However, before such genre entertainment arrived in 1988, there was a Broadway play by Robert Marasco, which explored the growing unrest inside a Catholic boarding school as two teachers deal with their differences and the kids have gone a little crazy as the academic year carries on. Screenwriter Leon Prochnik and director Sidney Lumet take on the responsibility of a screen adaptation, and 1972's "Child's Play" is mostly content to resemble the stage production, putting focus on the actors as the story surveys darkness creeping into a holy place. It's an unusual tale of paranoia and torment, sold particularly well by the cast, who truly dig into the disease of the plot and maintain a few of its mysteries. Overall, the endeavor isn't terribly gripping, but it retains moments of fiery confrontation and ambiguity to keep viewers invested in a central crisis of concern. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Programming on the Adult Swim network is often an acquired taste. The company tends to play to the comedy nerd crowd, investing in absurdity and extremity to reach a cult viewership that enjoys wild visions of silliness and horror. The brand has managed to hit a few mainstream heights during their run ("Aqua Teen Hunger Force," "Robot Chicken," "Rick and Morty"), but nothing perfectly encapsulates the Adult Swim way better than 2014's "Too Many Cooks." The short arrived quietly, only to become a secret handshake offering of insanity from writer/director Casper Kelly, who turned the vanilla charms of network sitcoms into a hellish descent, making a fine mess of parody and genre perversion, crafting an 11-minute-long valentine to weirdness. Kelly returns to oddity in 2022's "Adult Swim Yule Log" (actually titled "The Fireplace" on the movie), which retains the "Too Many Cooks" atmosphere, once again launching sustained strangeness with a large collection of characters, often turning to heavy violence to keep viewers on edge. However, "Adult Swim Yule Log" is not a short, but 92 minutes long, pushing Kelly to maintain oddity for an extended amount of time. The strain of this mission shows, though the core experience of the endeavor remains appreciable, as Kelly is working to make something wholly bizarre, and he's periodically successful when focusing on a growing log-based nightmare. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2023, John Woo's "Silent Night" attempted to pull off a revenge tale with little to no dialogue, relying on the performers to physically communicate all the feelings as a violent odyssey was explored. Now there's "Azrael," which goes without dialogue for 99% of the endeavor, also examining terror and determination as plans of vengeance and survival skills are tracked. It's the newest film from director E.L. Katz, who made a strong impression with 2013's "Cheap Thrills," only to lose some career momentum with 2017's greatly disappointing "Small Crimes." He's back into fighting form with "Azrael," joined by screenwriter Simon Barrett ("You're Next," "The Guest") for this blunt study of self-preservation, with the production putting its faith in star Samara Weaving to deliver all the panic involved in this tale of one mute woman's mission to protect what little light remains in her bleak existence. It's a hostile, suspenseful picture, and it pulls off its central gimmick quite well as matters intensify for a character who can't scream. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Sick" takes viewers back to 2020, when the first wave of COVID-19 dominated daily life, turning everything upside down as people struggled to understand what was happening to health and society. That's enough right there to power a horror movie, and a few productions have attempted to detail life during pandemic times, but "Sick" has something slightly different in mind when it comes to manufacturing a fear factor. "Scream" screenwriter Kevin Williamson (joined by Katelyn Crabb, his former personal assistant) looks to revive his slasher interests with the project, blending moves from previous productions with fresh community paranoia, making for a mildly compelling chiller. It's no major offering of suspense, but director John Hyams (who made a similar endeavor in 2020's "Alone") creates a few tense moments of survival while Williamson and Crabb paw lightly at the agony of the COVID-19 event. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987's "Obsession: A Taste for Fear" takes viewers into the future. The actual year isn't shared by the movie, but it's a tomorrow that offers video production, laser guns, go-kart-like cars, and, well, rotary phones. The details of this vision aren't exactly worked out by director Piccio Raffanini, but the helmer is absolutely committed to style, trying to transform this murder mystery into a highly visual picture that's loaded with lighting, color, and characters in various stages of undress. "Obsession: A Taste for Fear" lives up to its title, as so much of the screenplay is devoted to people who simply can't stop fixating on one another, and Raffanini is dedicated to selling the erotic possibilities of the endeavor. The film doesn't contain much suspense, lacking a tighter grip on tension as a killer is on the loose, best left for those solely interested in low-budget cinematic achievements sold with noticeable technical effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1987's "Sweets from a Stranger" intends to be a thriller, but the screenwriting often neglects to add murder and mystery to the endeavor. There are really two movies competing for screen time in the offering, which follows the organization efforts of Italian prostitutes as they face the deadly wrath of a serial killer looking to eliminate them. It's a union picture in a strange way, adding an interesting empowerment angle to the feature, but director Franco Ferrini doesn't go far enough with the idea, merely returning to it on occasion as he faces feeble dramatics and a story of threat that contains little to no intimidation factor. "Sweets from a Stranger" possesses a lot of potential, but next to nothing emerges with authority, watching tension dwindle and relationships blur as Ferrini attempts to figure out what kind of story he wants to tell. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Carole Bouquet received a major career boost after appearing in 1981's "For Your Eyes Only," joining the James Bond franchise during its Roger Moore heyday. She became part of film history, but, as with so many "Bond Women," chasing that professional high isn't easy. She returns to screens in 1983's "Mystere" (a.k.a. "Dagger Eyes"), which is kinda, sorta a 007-like cinematic experience from director Carlo Vanzina, who looks to the thrills of secret assassins, chases, and brief globetrotting to bring this tale to life. And it almost works, at least for the first hour, which focuses on Bouquet's screen presence and evildoing, making for a decently nasty thriller. Once Vanzina tries to take the feature elsewhere in the final act, all the intense staring from Bouquet can't keep the movie from basically falling apart. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The "V/H/S" series previously petered out after three installments a decade ago. Revived in 2021, the franchise has enjoyed real momentum this time around, with "V/H/S/Beyond" the fourth chapter of the reboot saga (and seventh overall). As with many horror series, quality ranges, but the concept and execution of it all stays relatively steady in "V/H/S/Beyond," with general fright interests paired with sci-fi touches. Aliens are primarily the focus of the offering, with another batch of filmmakers using small budgets and big imaginations to generate horrific meetings with the unknown and the unexpectedly threatening. The segments vary in quality and intensity, but the latest adventure in fears and dangerous situations scores more than it misses, with a few chapters displaying some terrific skill and vision when detailing close encounters of the bloody kind. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In the late 1960s and early '70s, Robert De Niro was like many actors in the game. He was hungry, eager to prove himself, hunting for any job he could get to add to his resume, allowing him to maintain momentum in the industry. 1973 was the year when everything changed for De Niro, breaking through big time with his turn in Martin Scorsese's "Mean Streets," detailing a tough side to the talent, backed by an exceptional filmmaker. There was also "Bang the Drum Slowly," giving De Niro an opportunity to showcase his range, portraying a dying baseball player handling a friendship with his teammate. Director John Hancock oversees this tender study of partnership and trust, which is an adaptation of a book by Mark Harris (who also scripts), challenged to find the softness in male bonding and sporting achievements. "Bang the Drum Slowly" is a quiet picture with a love for character that sometimes derails its pacing, but the central relationship is compelling, watching two men deal with their emotions and the reality of mortality while handling the ups and downs of a baseball season. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Keanu & Co." is the official title of this Blu-ray release, but Keanu Reeves is barely featured. The once and future Ted Logan plays only a small part in the Canadian shorts collected here, as the spotlight is actually trained on director Robert Fortier, who worked throughout the 1980s to bring social and emotional issues to viewers through the "Family Crisis Series" and assorted offerings. The idea is to present moments of strife and confusion, highlighting the troubles of others plowing through their issues, with hopes that perhaps seeing such difficulties will help illuminate viewers. Three shorts are presented as the main program the disc, with 1986's "Out of a Job," 1985's "One Step Away," and 1985's "Running Scared" supplying a range of Fortier's work during the decade. Fans of Reeves aren't left with much beyond "One Step Away," which represents the star's debut lead role, giving the set a little spark while the offerings delve into tumultuous feelings and strained relationships. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Experimental filmmaker Guy Maddin has spent his career creating peculiar movies for art-house audiences. He's in love with the dreamlike possibilities of cinema, maintaining a sense of humor and bold visuals to bring his creations to life. He's been away from screens for quite some time (2017's "The Green Fog" was his last project), and he returns with perhaps his most accessible undertaking yet in "Rumours," examining the strangeness of an apocalyptic event occurring during the G7 gathering of world leaders. Maddin doesn't come alone, joined by collaborators Evan and Galen Johnson, and the trio is out to craft a disorienting journey into ego, power, and panic with the effort, which also aims to be a comedy, at least for the most part. "Rumours" is a little bit of everything, and while it does get a tad fatigued, it remains a periodically hilarious and fantastically performed offering of oddity from a helmer who just loves the stuff. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com