God(zilla) only knows that 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong” didn’t have it easy. Created to revitalize the MonsterVerse and build it into something bigger, the movie was ultimately unleashed during the fog of the COVID-19 pandemic, enduring a simultaneous release in theaters and on streaming, potentially weakening box office possibilities for the sequel. However, there was an audience hungry for giant creature action, and “Godzilla vs. Kong” managed to become a hit, enchanting a global fanbase. And now the kaiju have returned for “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire,” with the production looking to expand on massive scale and action for a younger generation of MonsterVerse ticket-buyers. Director Adam Wingard isn’t aiming the feature at the “Godzilla Minus One” crowds, going in a more Saturday Morning Cartoon route with the endeavor, which is missing some CGI polish and epic world-building, but scores with pure entertainment and acknowledgment that most people stepping inside theaters to see the film are primarily interested in monster chaos. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In terms of career accomplishments, Steve Martin has conquered show business. At 78 years of age, he’s done just about everything, and has been extraordinarily successful at most things, using his wit and love of weirdness to triumph as a stand-up comedian and delight as an actor and writer. Director Morgan Neville (“Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”) looks to examine the extent of Martin’s life and career in “Steve! (Martin): A Documentary in Two Pieces,” creating at challenge for himself as the subject has already covered his personal and professional achievements in books such as “Born Standing Up” and “Number One is Walking.” “Steve!” isn’t revelatory for longtime fans of the star, but Neville brings some gentle reflection to the entirety of this amazing existence, working with Martin to pull out deep feelings and distant memories. And there’s a wealth of A/V evidence to support the journey, gifting viewers a chance to understand the world of Steve Martin as Neville breaks up the adventure into two chapters that deal with different periods of aging. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2023’s “Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey” was a micro-budgeted production that managed to capture headlines due to its use of author A.A. Milne’s beloved characters, transferring gentle personalities into the realm of slasher cinema. The idea of the feature went viral, inspiring ticket-buyers to see what writer/director Rhys Frake-Waterfield was going to do with his button-pushing concept. And then viewers were confronted with the punishing reality of Frake-Waterfield’s amateur filmmaking skills and lack of imagination, turning “Blood and Honey” into one of the worst movies of the year. Alas, money was made, and Frake-Waterfield is right back, one year later, with “Blood and Honey 2,” which does next to nothing to improve on the viewing experience. In reality, things are just as awful in the sequel, which should be boosted by the power of hindsight and newfound budgetary might, but mostly remains an excruciatingly dull, dreadfully acted, and poorly written follow-up that’s really no different than what came before. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Liam Neeson has been making the same type of movie for quite some time now. While box office returns haven’t been strong, someone is making money, because the actor keeps finding work with violent entertainment. Neeson doesn’t exactly distance himself from the usual with “In the Land of Saints and Sinners,” but the feature is a slight break from the norm, reteaming with his “The Marksman” director, Robert Lorenz, for an Irish tale of revenge and protection. “In the Land of Saints and Sinners” handles with pleasing hostility, and the script by Mark Michael McNally and Terry Loane creates dimensional characters to follow, making for a deeper inspection of danger. It’s a sharp, involving film, and one of the better Neeson endeavors of the last five years. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Bob Byington isn’t a filmmaker who’s chasing after grander creative challenges with each endeavor. He makes small, idiosyncratic pictures, spending extraordinarily little money while detailing the vastness of ego and neuroses. He previously helmed “7 Chinese Brothers” and “Infinity Baby,” and now Byington returns with “Lousy Carter,” which, as expected, doesn’t go beyond his creative interests or his budgetary limitations. However, it is a funny examination of curdled people, offering lead David Krumholtz an opportunity to chew on a dimensional character as he manages the effort’s love of deadpan humor and strange personalities. “Lousy Carter” is dry stuff, but there are laughs to be had while Byington details the journey of a depressed man and his adventure into the finality of his existence, and all the oddity and temptation he pursues. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Steve Buscemi is primarily known for his acting efforts, frequently achieving greatness with a varied filmography, often portraying itchy personalities with limited patience for others. He’s also carved out a directorial career, but he hasn’t touched it in 17 years, with “The Listener” his return behind the camera, previously helming such films as “Trees Lounge,” “Lonesome Jim,” and “Animal Factory.” Buscemi and screenwriter Alessandro Camon confront the psychological mess of the COVID-19 pandemic with the material, but they remain respectful of the situation, creating an incredibly small-scale study of therapy and connection with the picture, which completely focuses on a single character dealing with helpline callers for 90 minutes. There’s nowhere to go in “The Listener,” giving Camon a chance to create tension through conversations, while Buscemi spends his time highlighting behaviors and calming techniques, working with star Tessa Thompson and a host of voices to explore the darkness of isolation and need for connection. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1999’s “Bringing Out the Dead” presented a grim understanding of paramedic life, following a collection of strung-out, freaked-out characters trying to make sense of the job and their encroaching insanity. Director Martin Scorsese wasn’t afraid of the horror, but he wanted something a bit more profound with the film. “Asphalt City” doesn’t show the same restraint, with helmer Jean-Stephane Sauvaire overseeing a direct entrance to urban hell, studying all the points of pressure facing a small assortment of EMS workers as they deal with New York City’s worst. It’s a pressure cooker viewing experience from Sauvaire, who’s looking to generate a level of anxiety that mirrors what the professionals are facing. However, instead of understanding job responsibilities and the sheer violence of the work, Sauvaire looks to get artful and extended with the picture, often distracted by his own moviemaking interests. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

People love cats, and it’s a safe bet that these fans will pay money to attend a movie that’s primarily about watching felines in various forms of play and curiosity. “A Cat’s Life” is an adaptation of a novel by Maurice Genevoix, with co-writer/director Guillaume Maidatchevsky attempting to bring the fluid world of literary imagination to the screen, working with an animal that’s not typically known for its ability to be trained. “A Cat’s Life” is a French production, often eschewing the lure of Hollywood-style cutes to offer something more primal about behavior and connection. There’s plenty of mischief in the film, but the helmer doesn’t craft a strictly gentle endeavor, electing for more of a reality when it comes to life and death, and the stresses of human life, which makes for a decently involving viewing experience. The effort eventually pulls away from cat activity in its final movement, but Maidatchevsky does well working with his furry stars, creating a feature that, for its first two acts, finds its magic in the simple ways of feline behavior. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Immaculate” is written by Andrew Lobel, and it’s his first effort in the world of feature-length filmmaking. He doesn’t have many fresh concepts for the picture, but he does have blood and various grotesqueries, also trying to have some fun in the world of “nunsploitation,” merging Catholic oppression with something macabre brewing over the run time. Director Michael Mohan (“Save the Date,” and the most screencapped movie of 2021, “The Voyeurs”) has the job to make a sinister premise come alive, but suspense and frights are basically uninvited to this genre party. Instead of a nail-biter with a palpable sense of evil, “Immaculate” is lethargic and unwilling to put in the work to really rile up viewers with its ideas on religious submission and perversion. Star Sydney Sweeney is no help, unable to bring the thunder in a role that requires a special level of panic she’s seemingly incapable of summoning. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

2021’s “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” was an effort to get fans back into the franchise while introducing a younger generation to the highlights of the series. Director Jason Reitman (who co-wrote the film with Gil Kenan) had a specific mission with the movie, and he successfully put the brand name up on its feet with an exciting, emotional, and well-cast sequel. Now the Ghostbusters are back in business, with Kenan taking over helming duties (pairing with Reitman for the script), pursuing more of a ghostbusting tone that deals with generations of personal problems. “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire” doesn’t quite have the heart or mystery of its predecessor, but it remains tremendous fun as Kenan returns the saga to where it all began, creating a fresh enemy for the expanded squad, juggling their various missions and concerns. Callbacks and the return of a few old faces aren’t denied, fitting into the flow of this exciting feature, which feels like the next logical step for the Ghostbusters as they look to enchant the faithful and engage the newcomers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The potential audience for “Road House” probably has no idea the feature is a remake. The 1989 Rowdy Herrington original was a rough-and-ready drive-in picture for the 1980s, exploring bad attitudes and bare-knuckle enlightenment, becoming wonderfully trashy entertainment with A-film technical achievements and B-movie atmosphere. It also offered perfect casting, with the late Patrick Swayze fully understanding the acting assignment, bringing a duality of strength and wisdom to the character of Dalton. For 2024, Jake Gyllenhaal tries to create a different Dalton for a new “Road House,” which takes its lead from the world of MMA fighting. Director Doug Liman offers lovely locations and some bar fights, but he’s not really trying to recapture the flavor of the 1989 endeavor, making more of a video game-esque viewing experience instead, aiming to be sillier with the premise. It’s not that the first “Road House” is high art, but it had a defined vibe and fantastic execution. Liman is just making a technical exercise in search of real cinematic conflict. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A documentary on the life and times of William Shatner conjures plenty of expectations, with the actor in command of a colorful existence filled with career highlights and general eccentricity. However, “You Can Call Me Bill” is directed by Alexandre O. Philippe, and he’s not a helmer interested in making something flashy and superficial. The man behind “Memory: The Origins of Alien” and “Leap of Faith: William Friedkin on The Exorcist,” Philippe is more interested in getting under the skin of his subjects, playing with stillness and introspection to best extract a deeper understanding of the situation. Thankfully, Shatner is ready to play along, sitting down for this unexpectedly reflective conversation about acting, nature, and the ways of life and death. “You Can Call Me Bill” is a fascinating portrait of Shatner, who, at 92 years of age, remains as animated as ever, eager to walk through the memories of his active days, doing so with a hearty sense of humor and emotional intensity. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director Weston Razooli wants to restore the days of high adventure with “Riddle of Fire,” which is a mash-up of “Goonies” energy and role-playing gaming, featuring a very young cast working in the open world of Montana. The helmer looks at the challenges of life from a kid perspective, finding the magic of childhood as the story sends three friends on a perilous quest to bring a blueberry pie to an ailing mother for control of the television. “Riddle of Fire” is not a romp, with Razooli slowing down with the feature, stretching out a 75-minute idea to a 115-minute-long run time, and pacing isn’t always kind. The reward for patience is a chance to watch an adventurous filmmaker summon a unique look at amateur actor energy, playing with unrefined ways to capture a special spirit for the endeavor, which retains some wonderful moments of humor and mystery. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Late Night with the Devil” returns viewers to the ways of television talk shows in the 1970s, where looser standards for constant audience engagement meant that wild situations could develop. With horror fanatics typically favoring a younger demographic, it’ll be interesting to see if there’s an audience for the feature, which uses the conventions of network television programming from 50 years ago to serve as inspiration for a demonic possession film. Writer/directors Cameron and Colin Cairnes (“100 Bloody Acres,” “Scare Campaign”) have the right idea for what’s technically a found footage endeavor, creating a special evening of surprise for the host of the show, “Night Owls.” “Late Night with the Devil” visibly battles to come up with stuff to do to fill 90 minutes of screen time, but the helmers deliver effective atmosphere for the effort, which periodically scores with T.V. replication and visits to the dark side. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Sleeping Dogs” is an adaptation of a 2017 novel by Eugen Chirovici, with Adam Cooper making his directorial debut with the picture. Cooper and his screenwriting partner, Bill College, have a very strange filmography, co-scripting such movies as “The Transporter Refueled,” “Exodus: Gods and Kings,” and the Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen comedy, “New York Minute,” and they bring some of that creative oddity to “Sleeping Dogs.” It’s a slice of detective fiction, following an ex-cop’s investigation into a murder he was previously involved with, dealing with new evidence and the degenerative effects of Alzheimer’s disease as he searches for clues. The premise has some potential, but Cooper doesn’t oversee a motivated endeavor, going sluggish with this collection of suspects and entanglements. The feature has a capable lead performance from Russell Crowe, but little else feels remarkable about the effort, which doesn’t provide a hearty enough whodunit to really pull viewers in. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com