"Scanner Cop" introduced the character Sam, a cop with scanner abilities trying to find some balance between duty and his telepathic powers. For "Scanner Cop II," Sam is still trying to deal with his history and power, but the screenplay is only marginally paying attention to emotional development. The sequel wants to put on a major show of force when it comes to scanners and their destructive ways, setting up a war of minds that allows for plenty of gore zone visits and intense staring contests from the actors. The loss of an interesting story is a shame, but "Scanner Cop II" delivers more genre highlights, with director Steve Barnett aiming to win viewers over with a grislier take on the "Scanners” universe. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

David Cronenberg wasn't pursuing a franchise opportunity when he created 1981's "Scanners," but he managed to inspire the creation of one, without his involvement. Executive producer Pierre David labored to transform the original feature into a series of DTV sequels, achieving some success with 1991's "Scanners II: The New Order" and 1993's "Scanners III: The Takeover." Instead of marching into a fourth installment with the same old telepathic warfare, David elected to slightly change the situation, taking directorial control of 1994's "Scanner Cop," which turns the whole brain- popping concept into a detective story, almost playing like a pilot for a syndicated television show. "Scanner Cop" isn't a major reorganization of the premise, but it tries to merge supercop events with horror happenings, finding some inspiration when it creates a mess with the characters and their squishy minds. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1985's "Walking the Edge" plays an unexpected game of switcheroo with its lead characters. The story is initially presented as a revenge tale spotlighting one woman's mission to murder the punks who killed her husband and son, but the material quickly gives up on that, transitioning to a not-so-innocent bystander, who quickly becomes the focus of the endeavor. There's confusion with this creative choice, which doesn't do the feature any favors, but director Norbert Meisel and writer Curt Allen seem to believe they're making the right decisions to best serve their B-movie. What the production does achieve is smart casting, bringing in Nancy Kwan as the initial gunwoman, while Robert Forster portrays the fringe player-turned- gunman, giving his best effort to make "Walking the Edge" burn with intensity and fear, adding some kooky thespian energy to the film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It's been a long time since actor Stephen Dorff delivered an alert performance. He's been working the B-movie circuit for some time, flirting with a few softer diversions (including Sofia Coppola's "Somewhere"), but he's mostly stuck with playing hardened guys in criminal situations. For "Embattled," Dorff is once again tasked with portraying a nasty human being, but the screenplay by David McKenna ("American History X," "Blow") doesn't permit the character to act as flypaper for cliches, putting in the effort to create dimensions for a seasoned MMA fighter struggling with ego and anger issues, gradually recognizing the emptiness of his life. The role is a perfect fit for Dorff, who gives one of his finest performances, and it's a strong film overall, exploring forms of violence and neglect, but also taking a look at the true formation of masculinity and family. There are plenty of hard hits and trash talking, but "Embattled" goes beyond the sport's aggression to grasp the wounded hearts in play. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After making a critical splash with 2011's "Martha Marcy May Marlene," writer/director Sean Durkin finally finds his way to a follow-up with 2020's "The Nest." It's a period picture, and one that looks beyond the decorative aspects of the 1980s to understand the decade's particular lust for greed and social standing, following the disintegration of a seemingly happy family. Durkin retains the coldness of "Martha Marcy May Marlene," giving "The Nest" space to examine the souring of personal relationships and the corruption of responsibility. This particular chill doesn't inspire a hypnotic viewing experience, but it does permit the actors an opportunity to find their characters with their own timing and emphasis. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It's important to understand that "The Legend of Hei" is a prequel to a Chinese animated show, with the production working backwards to explore certain characters as they once were before the series began, giving fans a chance to experience an origin story with cinematic scale. If one isn't aware of any connection to an ongoing tale of spirits and humans, "The Legend of Hei" is probably going to lose the average viewer once major world- building begins in the feature's second half. Backstory is plentiful in the endeavor, but when subplots and exposition grow wearisome, the movie does offer a visually compelling understanding of different worlds and odd characters, while the action is surprisingly intense, keeping things agreeably violent and destructive to help outsiders stay invested in what appears to be China's attempt to manufacture a Ghibli-esque take on ways of colonization and the power of magic. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

She was a major force in the modeling world of the late 1980s, wowing fans with her clear beauty, which gave her industry authority and newsstand omnipresence. But someone, somewhere wanted Kathy Ireland to be an actress, trying to transfer a person who made a living off her looks into a dramatic force for the big screen. 1988's "Alien from L.A." is her debut feature, with director Albert Pyun trying to do something with Ireland's lack of thespian training, keeping her front and center for this loose riff on "Journey to the Center of the Earth" and "The Wizard of Oz." "Alien from L.A." has all the usual low-budget Pyun hustle, with the helmer trying to turn a few sets and a truckload of costumes into fantasy world where everything looks the same, and it has Ireland, who understandably isn't trying that hard to come up with a performance, whining and squeaking her way through a movie that isn't terribly exciting, even when it tries to be. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1984's "Alley Cat" hopes to compete in the exploitation market, presenting a lead character who's not one to accept trouble from others, using her karate training to make sure predatory men don't mess with her twice. The production tries to work in some violence, nudity, and aggressive behavior to offer fans a decent ride, but the picture doesn't get messy despite plenty of opportunity to do so. It's something of a relief to see such restraint, with the directors (Victor M. Ordonez, Ed Palmos, and Al Valletta) actively working to make their R-rated vigilante story approachable to a slightly wider audience. It's not a Disney production, but "Alley Cat" doesn't revel in ugliness, providing B-movie entertainment with some fun fight scenes, an energetic lead actress with a loose command over her accent, and a somewhat timely condemnation of the American police and justice system. It's not an especially good film, but with this type of escapism, anything that isn't downbeat or too fetish-y is most welcome. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The title "Champagne and Bullets" doesn't make much sense. The movie includes the consumption of champagne, but very few bullets are fired, though a character orders "bullets" at a bar, which may be a reference to specialized drink. Who knows? One would hope writer/star/co-director John De Hart would, but he's got bigger fish to fry as the mastermind of this crazy picture, which shows almost no sense of leadership or forethought. De Hart oversees one of the great make-em-ups of the 1990s with "Champagne and Bullets," building himself a vanity film that celebrates his songwriting, singing, acting, and sexuality, planning to transform himself into a screen icon with the endeavor, which is as clumsy and misbegotten as can be. Make no mistake, this thing is awful, but one doesn't come to the feature with hopes for directorial finesse. Amusement with a "Birdemic"- style ride is the desired result, and the effort delivers plenty of that. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass have created a great number of classics throughout their partnership, using interest in stop-motion animation to make the holidays a little brighter with television specials such as "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town." They've also dabbled in theatrical endeavors, with "Mad Monster Party" a cult favorite. For 1966's "The Daydreamer," Rankin/Bass aim for a more storybook tone, exploring the world of author Hans Christian Andersen through a mix of live-action and stop-motion animation, working to bring some magic to this musical, which visits several of Andersen's famous works. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com