Category: DVD/BLU-RAY

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

Armed with $5,000 and two days to make a movie, and director Bob Chinn comes up with "Disco Lady," which tries to provide something dramatically satisfying for the viewing audience, but remains far more confident with bedroom encounters. Well, not exactly bedrooms, as most of the feature delivers sexual encounters in bathrooms and stock rooms, finding Chinn trying to make the most of what he's got. It's not the most inviting scenery, but the helmer is basically making the picture for lunch money, finding whatever corner and gently used mattress he can to get the job done. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Bob Chinn goes cheeky with 1977's "Hard Soap, Hard Soap," his take on network primetime comedies of the era. Instead of digging deep into the possibilities of satirizing such self-aware content, Chinn and writer John Thomas Chapman have an idea, but they don't develop it in full, aiming for something flatter with the picture, which is boosted by unexpectedly engaged performances, but lacks a defined funny bone. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1986's "Omega Syndrome" tries to keep actor Ken Wahl viable as an action star. While not without charm and leading man looks, Wahl is the reluctant hero in the picture, which is scripted by John Sharkey and transformed into something sellable by director Joseph Manduke, tasked with becoming an authoritative bruiser in a film that's not entirely interested in providing a violent thrill ride. "Omega Syndrome" has the "Taken" formula, with a father losing his daughter to kidnappers, forced for fight for her return, and there's a certain entertainment value in the clash between Wahl's hesitant force for justice and the neo-Nazi scum who make the mistake of taking his character's only child. It's a blunt feature, but certain elements of the writing hint at a more detailed assessment of good and evil, giving the endeavor interesting moments of psychological clarity and idiosyncrasy before it plunges back into the escapism of an Italian-produced B-movie unleashed on the back alleys and parking garages of Los Angeles. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While 1997's "G.I. Jane" nabbed all the headlines for its then-provocative story about a female struggling to make her mark in the male-dominated military, it's interesting to see 1986's "Opposing Force," which basically explores the same story. Granted, it's a less evolved saga of empowerment and pain, but screenwriter Linda J. Cowgill makes a valiant attempt to address the gender experience in the armed forces, creating a tale of a woman who wants to serve her country singled out by dismissive and predatory men. Because it was created in the 1980s, there's a defined vibe of exploitation to "Opposing Force," which isn't exactly taking a jeweler's loop to the equality issue, with director Eric Karson more interested in suffering and action as he tries to make B-movie with slightly elevated world awareness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Virginal corruption is the primary goal of 1980's "Justine," with director Roberta Findlay creating an interesting mix of perversion and desire for the picture. Detailing the experiences of the titular teen orphan (Hillary Summers) as she's sent to live with her Uncle Steven (Ashley Moore), "Justine" uses the guise of dreamlike innocence to explore some kinky behaviors, with Findlay weaving something of a soft nightmare as Justine finds her way to satisfaction while enduring all sorts of aggressive situations. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1955's "The Beast with a Million Eyes" presents itself as a monster movie, only without a significant budget to do something more graphic in terms of creature creation, aiming to set a mysterious mood of unknown aggression. The Roger Corman production is actually more of an Animals Attack endeavor, examining alien manipulation on a remote California farm that weaponizes local wildlife. Keeping with Corman traditions, there isn't much action, but the general vibe of "The Beast with a Million Eyes" is just odd enough to hold attention, as limited resources encourage some enjoyably creative filmmaking. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While not known for his interest in comedies, director Walter Hill aims for a little more marketplace visibility with 1985's "Brewster's Millions." Many have been here before, as the original 1903 novel by George Barr McCutcheon has been turned into various plays and movies, with many drawn to the premise of a month-long secretive spending spree, offering a direct level of wish fulfillment and dramatic panic. For his take on the source material, Hill brings in Richard Pryor, and while the actor was in the midst of his take-all-jobs career craze during the 1980s, he makes for an appealing Montgomery Brewster, delivering one of his most assured performances as the titular man-with-millions, offered ideal support from John Candy, who provides his own nervous energy to keep the picture buzzing along. "Brewster's Millions" isn't broad or manic, as Hill finds a way to capture monetary excitement without slipping into excess, creating an entertaining endeavor that delivers pure charm, not necessarily huge laughs. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Movie productions in the 1980s were filled with crazy ideas. Someone, somewhere saw sixtysomething Charles Bronson taking on bad guys and thought, "Maybe we can get Charles Durning to do the same thing!" 1985's "Stand Alone" doesn't replicate the stone-faced approach of a typical Bronson endeavor, but it does have Durning in American hero mode, battling members of a Mexican cartel who've invaded a Californian suburb. Durning as a gun-toting man of action isn't the easiest buy in terms of screen fantasy, but he's a terrific actor, and that's what really counts here. "Stand Alone" isn't big on brawling, but it does offer plenty of opportunities for the cast to showcase their skills, with Durning doing what he can to transform himself into a semi-credible mean machine. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Family is the theme of "Feast of the Seven Fishes," and it's a shame writer/director Robert Tinnell ("Kids of the Round Table," "Frankenstein and Me") doesn't focus enough on domestic interactions. While primed for holiday viewings, the picture doesn't always embrace its festive mood, striving to attach a romantic element featuring younger characters to material that connects best as a study of older people working to keep traditions alive. Tinnell seems a little too concerned with the marketplace appeal of "Feast of the Seven Fishes," taking time away from the core vibe of the movie to deal with uninteresting characters and their problems. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Denis Do makes his directorial debut with "Funan," an animated picture about the innocent lives caught up in the Khmer Rouge revolution during the 1970s. Do doesn't play it safe for his first offering as a helmer, delivering a profoundly unsettling study of survival and anguish during a time of absolute horror, using animation as a way to provide a distinct understanding of emotion, yet he still respects the scale of atrocities going on. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Keeping up with his interest in the strangeness of relationships, writer/director Hong Sang-soo delves into slightly darker emotional territory with "Hotel by the River." It's more of an exploration of family issues and friendships, but, in keeping with the helmer's creative ways, it remains largely meditative, with stretches of poeticism and tourism breaking up the potential for heated encounters. Hong creates very specific movies for a specific audience, and "Hotel by the River" is no different, only this time he's ready to probe a little deeper into the disappointments of life, coming up with a denser feature than what he's typically interested in creating. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Richard Donner was in an incredible professional position in 1979. In 1976, he helmed "The Omen," giving Donner his first major box office and creative success. In 1978, he guided "Superman" to pop culture dominance, emerging with another monster moneymaker and one of the few masterpieces found in comic book cinema. Donner was riding high, electing to cash in some of his power to make 1980's "Inside Moves," which is as far away from Satan and Krypton as possible. Dialing down blockbuster sensibilities, Donner aims for a decidedly human story about friendship and community support, taking inspiration from Todd Walton's novel, adapted here by Valerie Curtin and Barry Levinson. "Inside Moves" is a frustratingly disjointed endeavor, but there's real passion to the filmmaking, with Donner working hard to share his love for the material and the participants, giving the effort a spiritual boost when basic storytelling is often ignored. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While the world faces a future of increasing workplace automation, removing humans from jobs, the film "Automation" is here to…not really comment on any of that. Instead of sinking his teeth into the juicy politics and fear factor of robotic replacement, co-writer/director Garo Setian makes a horror/comedy with "Automation," wasting a wonderful idea on limp B-movie production achievements and a story that falls far short of its potential. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"The Fare" aims to conjure the vibe of a "Twilight Zone" episode, even electing to play with B&W as part of its push for mood. It's a brain-bleeder from writer/star Brinna Kelly and director D.C. Hamilton, who deliver a time loop tale that's almost completely contained to a single cab riding along in the middle of nowhere. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While it gives off "Purge" fumes, there's potential in the premise of "Red Letter Day." It's a story about a suburban community infiltrated by a digital terrorist group working to arrange a special day where residents are forced to kill their neighbors. Clocking in at 76 minutes, one would expect writer/director Cameron Macgowan to establish his characters and go full speed ahead into excessive violence and mild social commentary, managing B-movie expectations. Unfortunately, Macgowan wants to sit awhile before the bloodshed begins. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In a year that's already celebrated the music of The Beatles through fantasy (in June's "Yesterday"), it seems only natural to make way for Bruce Springsteen and his working class perspective for "Blinded by the Light," a tale of fandom in the 1980s and something of a bio-pic for writer Sarfraz Manzoor, whose book, "Greetings from Bury Park: Race, Religion and Rock N' Roll," has inspired the screenplay. The film isn't explicitly a jukebox musical working through Springsteen's ample discography, but it certainly threatens to become one. Co-writer/director Gurinder Chadha ("Bend It Like Beckham") is making a coming-of-age drama, but guitar spirit often takes command of the feature, which is even more of an audience-pleaser than "Yesterday," even while working with far more sobering tunes. "Blinded by the Light" doesn't know when to quit, but it's loaded with charm and always attentive to heart, offering viewers the ride of life in motion, backed by the rock poetry of The Boss. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com