That Time of The Month – DVD & Blu-Ray Reviews To Keep You Busy Until July

Where the hell did spring go?  Fortunately for you most of the movies in theaters this summer have been pretty mediocre, which means you can crank the AC and sit on your ass at home and watch the DVDs and Blu-rays reviewed here. 

Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart.

Kingsman: The Secret Service 

20th Century Fox / Released 6/9/15

A super-secret organization recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a dire global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. A phenomenal cast, including Academy Award Winners Colin Firth and Michael Caine and Oscar Nominee Samuel L. Jackson, leads this action-packed spy-thriller directed by Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class). Extras include featurettes and image galleries.

Last Word: The spy movie genre of late has gotten pretty grim. From the gritted teeth of Jason Bourne or 007 to the polite office politics of George Smiley to revenge obsessed Bryan Mills, being a secret agent doesn’t seem like much fun. Unless, you’re a Kingsman.

In one of cinema’s most unique partnerships, comic book writer Mark Millar has teamed up with director Matthew Vaughn and screenwriter Jane Goldman for the second time to adapt one of Millar’s properties to the silver screen.

The first collaboration, 2010’s Kick-Ass, pondered what being a superhero would be like for the average teenager in the real world.  Now the attention has turned to gentlemen spy. Scottish Millar is a bit of a P.T. Barnum of comics, playing the press with exaggerated hints of news.  But there’s a catch; He delivers.

So far several films based on his material have been released including Wanted, Kick-Ass 1 & 2, and Kingsman with upcoming projects including Nemesis to be directed by Joe Carnahan, Supercrooks with director Nacho Vigalando and Superior, potentially again with Vaughn.  His work on the Ultimate X-Men and Ultimate Fantastic Four titles both heavily influenced the film versions and the rumor is that the third Wolverine film will be based on his Old Man Logan storyline.

What makes the partnership with Goldman and Vaughn interesting however is that they are often active on the screenplay while the comic is still being written, allowing for a unique collaboration and sometime cross-influence. As for an adaptation, there are some major changes in characters and motivation, but the all of the big strokes are there in the comic.  Rereading the comic after seeing the film, I honestly think that that Vaughn and Goldman knocked it out of the park.

Kingsman: The Secret Service is terrifically entertaining. Vaughn has made the most fun James Bond film that we’ve seen since the early Roger Moore films; including all of the key elements, gorgeous women, gadgets, a maniacal villain poised to take over the world, terrific humor, an over the top sidekick for the bad guy and huge action set pieces. Taron Egerton plays Eggsy, the latest potential recruit for The Kingsman, a secret spy society led by Michael Caine.  He’s nominated by Colin Firth, who feels responsible for the death of Egsy’s father, a Kingsman killed on his watch over a decade prior.  Samuel L. Jackson is the lisping Tommy Hilfiger styled Richmond Valentine, a tech billionaire with plans to reimagine the world with the use of a deadly phone app.

The cast overall is phenomenal.  Firth takes on the role of action hero with poise, grace and charm and Egerton is charming and holds his own against the ensemble of established stars (a group he’s likely to join very soon). The script is crisp and keeps the action moving quickly and Vaughn impeccably balances the absurd with humor and tension.  Kingsman is a very violent, very dark humored homage to the spy genre. Bring on the sequel.

The DUFF

Lionsgate / Released 6/9/15

Bianca’s (Mae Whitman) universe turns upside down when she learns that her high school refers to her as a ‘DUFF’ (Designated Ugly Fat Friend). Hoping to erase that label, she enlists the help of a charming jock (Robbie Amell) and her favorite teacher (Ken Jeong). Together they’ll face the school’s mean girl (Bella Thorne) and remind everyone that we are all someone’s DUFF… and that’s totally fine. Extras include featurettes and extended gag reel.

Last Word: Mae Whitman’s talents are on full display in The DUFF, an entertaining, albeit familiar teen film that owes more to Pygmalion, than the John Hughes oevure.  The screenplay by Josh A. Cagan is predictable and servicable, but the ensemble, especially Whitman and co-star Amell elevate the material.  Also, the film’s adult cast (Allison Janey, Ken Jeong and Romany Malco) anchors the film with a sense of levity and honesty.  The DUFF is a very entertaining teen comedy that is certain to appeal to viewers of all ages.  Recommended.

Focus

Warner Bros. / Released 6/2/15

Nicky (Will Smith) is a seasoned master of misdirection who becomes involved with novice con artist Jess (Margot Robbie). As he’s teaching her the tricks of the trade, she gets too close for comfort, and he breaks it off. Three years later, Jess – now an accomplished femme fatale – shows up in Buenos Aires during the high-stakes race-car circuit, throwing Nicky off his game in the middle of his latest dangerous scheme. Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes and alternate opening.

Last Word: A sexy and mysterious conman takes on a gorgeous young woman as his intern. Formulaic shenanigans ensue. That’s Focus. As far as con artist films go, this one is satisfactory, but only just so. My qualms: The movie is overall fun and dapper in the moment, but I found it immediately forgettable upon completion. Characters and plot are thin and formulaic. Expository scenes of con-life and rules all play out by the end of the film. The twists and turns turn and twist but we all know the outcome before it happens.
 
I wasn’t convinced of any chemistry between Nicky (Will Smith) and Jess (Margot Robbie) either. It often looks as though they are about to break character and start giggling. Their back-stories are alluded to, but never expanded upon. Robbie’s character reaches for some depth initially by blurting out, “I’m a dyslexic foster kid.” It’s an awkward throw away line and her past is non-existent from that point on. I was also distracted by Smith’s voice – he’s got the Matthew McConaughey slow, rasp mumbling thing going on. Just makes him look tired. In contrast, Robbie is very energetic, occasionally shrill even. Her eyes are always filled with wonder, and she’s always shocked and amused and squealing when her co-star pulls one over her head. It’s cute. But it gets boring.

Supporting characters are fairly bland as well. The goofy sidekick gets some laughs, the hot bad guy smiles and slithers and gets angry. B.D. Wong makes an odd appearance. And he’s great, but that’s it. He was there and then he wasn’t. Directors/writers Glenn Ficarra and John Requa give us several scenes of witty banter, which are enjoyable, but not too clever. It’s disappointing in fact, because their script for Crazy Stupid Love was so hilarious and smart.

You’ll obviously laugh during Focus because Will Smith is Will Smith and he has great timing, charm, and delivery, but I expected more from the directors, especially since they put the film together so seamlessly. Focus is very aesthetically pleasing, rich with impeccable wardrobes, exquisitely fancy hotels, luxury cars, and gorgeous birds-eye views of New York City, New Orleans and Buenos Aires. The colors are vibrant, and the camera work is simultaneously seductive and exciting. Of course, as tribute to the film’s title, the shots tend to go in and out of focus at the beginning and end of most scenes. And while it may get repetitive, it works.  Know that the movie is exactly what you’re expecting it be: a bunch of really attractive people stealing from the masses and are never even slightly remorseful about it. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Jamaica Inn: 75th Anniversary Edition 

Cohen Media/ Released 5/12/15

A rediscovered classic by the master of suspense, fully restored in 4K in collaboration with the British Film Institute from an archival picture negative. In this dark period drama, a young woman discovers her uncle heads a gang of ship-wreckers and murderers under the secret patronage of the local squire, wickedly played by Charles Laughton. Her efforts to stop their wicked ways leads her down a path filled with murder and betrayal.

Jamaica Inn was the first of Hitchcock’s adaptations of Daphne Du Maurier’s novels including Rebecca and The Birds. It was also Hitchcock’s last film made in the UK before coming to America and the film that introduced the world to Maureen O’Hara. Extras include commentary, video essay and trailer.

X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes

Kino Lorber/ Released 5/12/15

Dr. James Xavier (Ray Milland, 1945 Best Actor Oscar – Winner For The Lost Weekend) is a world renowned scientist experimenting with human eyesight. He devises a drug, that when applied to the eyes, enables the user to see beyond the normal realm of our sight. It also gives the user the power to see through objects. When his funding is cut off he takes refuge in a small carnival run by Crane (Don Rickles). Inspired by its awesome medical potential, but shunned by his short-sighted colleagues, the doctor tests the potion on himself, only to discover that his ability to see through walls, clothing and flesh is slowly eclipsed by and insatiable desire to look still further – even if it means seeing more than any mortal can bear, through the very fabric of reality.   Extras include commentaries, rare prologue, Trailers From Hell with Mick Garris, trailer and Joe Dante featurette.

These Final Hours 

Well Go USA/ Released 5/12/15

The End Is Here. The extinction of mankind is at hand. As a meteor hurtles toward the globe, the citizens of Earth have 12 hours to choose their fate. Some will party, some will pray, and still others will unleash their inner animals, embracing the chaos and destruction of the coming firestorm.

James (Nathan Phillips) only wants to escape the pain of annihilation, and is on his way to his friends apocalyptic blowout when he discovers Rose (Angourie Rice), lost and searching for her father. Reluctantly, he agrees to help – but this final good deed will prove far more dangerous than he ever expected.  Extras include trailer.

They Call Me MISTER Tibbs

Kino Lorber/ Released 5/12/15

In this suspenseful sequel to In the Heat of the Night, screen legend Sidney Poitier (Duel at Diablo) reprises his role as the intrepid investigator who, this time, must solve a puzzling murder in the city by the Bay. When a prostitute is murdered in San Francisco’s ritzy Nob Hill district, an anonymous tip implicates minister and political crusader Reverend Logan Sharpe (Martin Landau, Ed Wood). Lt. Virgil Tibbs (Poitier), who has known Sharpe for many years, asks to be assigned to the case in hopes of clearing his friend’s name. So begins the detective’s journey through a twisted maze of baffling evidence, frantic chases, deadly gunfire and bad alibis. Before long, Tibbs finds himself bitterly torn between his duty as a cop and his loyalty to a friend. Directed by Hollywood great Gordon Douglas (Barquero) and featuring a stellar supporting cast that includes Barbara McNair (The Organization), Edward Asner (TV’s Lou Grant), Anthony Zerbe (The Dead Zone) and Jeff Corey (Jennifer).  Extras include trailers.

The Organization

Kino Lorber/ Released 5/12/15

Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier (In The Heat Of The Night) reprises his role as Lt. Virgil Tibbs in this taut drama that exposes the ruthless, high-stakes world of international drug trafficking.

Under the cover of darkness, six masked figures raid a seemingly respectable furniture factory – and steal a multimillion-dollar cache of heroin! But these are no ordinary crooks. They’re a passionate band of former users-turned-vigilantes whose frustration with the law’s inability to combat the city’s drug problem spurs them to take on a powerful narcotics ring. After contacting Tibbs, they confess to the break-in, beg him to keep silent and ask for his help. But once he reluctantly agrees to operate outside the law, Tibbs soon finds himself at odds with the police and a ruthless drug syndicate that will stop at nothing to silence him.  Co-starring Raul Julia, Allen Garfield, Daniel J. Travanti, Max Gail and Demond Wilson.  Extras include trailer.

Two Men in Town

Cohen Media Group / Released 5/12/15

Forest Whitaker stars as William Garnett, an ex-con starting life over as a recently converted Muslim. With the help of his determined parole officer (Brenda Blethyn), he gets a job, meets an interesting woman, and keeps his head down. But the town sheriff, Bill Agati (Harvey Keitel), can’t leave him alone since Garnett was responsible for killing his deputy. As Agati puts pressure on him, and his old partners in crime hassle him, Garnett slowly starts to unravel. When his former life catches up with him, Garnett has to make peace with his past and face the future head on, with a gun.  Extras include making of and tv spots.

Power: The Complete First Season

Starz/Anchor Bay/ Released 5/12/15

From Executive Producer Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and show creator Courtney Kemp Agboh (The Good Wife) comes Power, a visionary crime drama set in two different worlds: the glamorous New York club scene and the brutal streets of the drug trade. James “Ghost” St. Patrick has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite: the famous and infamous boldface names that run the city that never sleeps. As its success grows, so do Ghost’s plans to build an empire. However, Truth hides an ugly reality. It’s a front for Ghost’s criminal underworld; a lucrative drug network, serving only the wealthy and powerful. As Ghost is seduced by the prospect of a legitimate life, everything precious to him becomes unknowingly threatened. Once you’re in, can you ever get out?  Extras include featurettes.

Still Alice
 

Sony Pictures/ Released 5/12/15

Alice Howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a diagnosis of Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, Alice and her family find their bonds thoroughly tested. Her struggle to stay connected to who she once was is frightening, heartbreaking, and inspiring. Also starring Alec Baldwin, Kristen Stewart, Kate Bosworth and Hunter Parrish. Extras include deleted scenes, interviews and featurettes.

Last Word: A spectacularly amazing performance by Julianne Moore anchors this emotionally intense, but otherwise conventional look at early-onset Alzheimer’s.  From my own family experience, Moore is able to capture a remarkable level of subtle truth as her mind slowly begins to change as the disease begins to attack her brain.  It’s truly a sublime and surprisingly sweet film that captures the authenticity and very real emotions and challenges of mental degregation on both the victim and their loved ones.  Recommended.

Mortdecai

Lionsgate/ Released 5/12/15

Johnny Depp, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Ewan McGregor lead an all-star cast in this criminally funny comedy. After a priceless painting is stolen, shady art dealer Charlie Mortdecai (Depp) is recruited by an old rival (McGregor) to get it back. Mortdecai questions his rival’s intentions, but takes the job for the money and to keep his high-maintenance wife (Paltrow) happy. With the help of his manservant, Mortdecai must face terrorists, angry Russians, and more in a hilarious globe-trotting chase. Extras include featurettes.

Fear Clinic

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 5/12/15

When trauma-induced phobias begin to re-emerge in five survivors a year after their horrifying tragedy, they return to the Fear Clinic, hoping to find the answers they need to get cured.

Dr. Andover (Robert Englund), a fear doctor who runs the clinic, uses his “Fear Chamber” to animate their fears in the form of terrifying hallucinations. However, the good doctor soon begins to suspect that something more sinister may be at work, something that yearns to be more than just an hallucination…

Based on the critically acclaimed and fan favorite 2009 FEARnet.com series, Fear Clinic also stars Fiona Dourif (True Blood), Slipknot and Stone Sour lead vocalist Corey Taylor and Thomas Dekker (The Good Lie).  Extras include behind the scenes featurette.

The Colbys: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory/ Released 5/12/15

The glamour. The romance. The intrigue. Featuring an all-star cast including Charlton Heston, Katharine Ross, John James, Emma Samms, Tracy Scoggins, Ricardo Montalban, and Barbara Stanwyck, that shines as brightly as the opulent lifestyles on display, The Colbys is a glittering saga of the power and passion that drove the dreams of the eighties.  A spin-off from the television phenomenon Dynasty, The Colbys explores the lives and loves of a fabulously wealthy California family as they confront challenges from both outsiders and within their own lineage. To maintain power and control over their empire, The Colbys will stop at nothing…and you will love them for every juicy scheme and shocking betrayal they enact.  Guest stars include Ken Howard, David Hedison, John Forsythe, Diahann Carroll, June Lockhart, Ian Abercrombie, Jack Coleman, Ray Wise, Kevin McCarthy, Adrian Paul, Judson Scott,  Nana Visitor, and Bianca Jagger.

Experience the drama, splendor, and machinations of the rich and powerful in the prime-time soap opera The Colbys, featuring an out-of-this-world series finale you will to see to believe! Extras include cast interviews. 

Science Fiction Theatre

Shout! Factory / Released 5/12/15

Blending the discoveries of factual science with the limitless frontiers of fantasy, Science Fiction Theatre offered Atomic Age television viewers an intriguing look at the possibilities science could provide us in the near future as well as the immediate present. Airing from 1955 to 1957 and hosted by Truman Bradley, Science Fiction Theatre‘s seventy-eight episodes presented its intelligent and fantastic stories in an anthology format, pre-dating The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits.

Guest stars on this unique program feature a roster of actors well-known to any lover of classic film and television, including Barbara Hale, Vera Miles, John Howard, Otto Kruger, DeForest Kelley, Marshall Thompson, Howard Duff, Whit Bissell, Gene Barry, Hugh Beaumont, Edmund Gwenn, Basil Rathbone, Phyllis Coates, William Schallert, Macdonald Carey, Vincent Price, Gene Lockhart, and Beverly Garland.

Presented for the first time on DVD, this complete series collection of Science Fiction Theatre is an entertaining look back-and-forward- to the way science shapes our views of the world’s potential. Includes the episodes: Beyond, Time Is Just A Place, No Food For Thought, Out Of Nowhere, Y.O.R.D., Strangers In The Desert, The Lost Heartbeat, The Sound Of Murder, The Brain Of John Emerson, Spider, Inc., Death At A.M., Conversation With An Ape, Marked “Danger”, Hour Of Nightmare, The Strange Dr. Lopez, One Hundred Years Young (aka Elixir Of Life), The Frozen Sound, The Stones Began To Move, The World Below, Barrier Of Silence, The Negative Man, Dead Reckoning, A Visit From Dr. Pliny, Dead Storage, The Strange People At Pecos, The Human Equation, Target Hurricane, The Water Maker, The Unexplored, The Hasting Secret, Postcard From Barcelona, Friend Of A Raven, Beyond Return, Before The Beginning, The Long Day, Project, Are We Invaded?, Operation Flypaper, The Other Side Of The Moon, Signals From The Heart, The Long Sleep, Who Is This Man?, The Green Bomb, When A Camera Fails, Bullet Proof, The Flicker, The Unguided Missile, End Of Tomorrow, The Mind Machine, The Missing Waveband,The Human Experiment, The Man Who Didn’t Know, The Phantom Car, Beam Of Fire, Legend Of Crater Mountain, Living Lights, Jupitron,The Throwback, The Miracle Of Dr. Dove, One Thousand Eyes, Brain Unlimited, Death At My Fingertips, Sound That Kills, Survival In Box Canyon, The Voice, Three Minute Mile, The Last Barrier, Signals From The Moon, Doctor Robot, The Human Circuit, Sun Gold, Facsimile, The Miracle Hour, Killer Tree, Gravity Zero, The Magic Suitcase, Bolt Of Lightning, and The Strange Lodger.

Dinosaur Island

Alchemy/ Released 5/12/15

In Dinosaur Island, A boy and a girl find themselves stranded in a land of wonder only to discover that throughout history, things have mysteriously disappeared to this long lost world. Together, they embark on their magical journey back home, and along the way encounter tribal natives, ferocious dinosaurs and a land long forgotten.

Just Before I Go

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 5/12/15

Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, Ted decides to go home and face the people he feels are responsible for creating the shell of a person he has become. But life is tricky. The more determined Ted is to confront his demons, to get closure, and to withdraw from his family, the more Ted is yanked into the chaos of their lives. So, when Ted Morgan decides to kill himself, he finds a reason to live.  Extras include commentary.

Extraterrestrial

Shout! Factory/ Released 5/12/15

From The Vicious Brothers, the creators of Grave Encounters, comes a pulse-pounding encounter of the deadly kind. Still reeling from her parents’ divorce, April (Brittany Allen, Dead Before Dawn) is dragged by her boyfriend (Freddie Stroma, Harry Potter & The Half-Blood Prince, Pitch Perfect), and a group of his friends back to the cabin where she spent summers as a child. Her trip down memory lane takes a dramatic and terrifying turn when a fireball descends from the sky and explodes in the nearby woods. The group venture out to the crash site and discover the remnants of a ship from another planet, along with footprints that suggest its alien occupants are still alive. They soon find themselves caught in the middle of something bigger and more terrifying than anything they could ever imagine.

Also starring Jesse Moss (Ginger Snaps), Emily Perkins (Ginger Snaps, Juno), Gil Bellows (House at the End of the Street) and Michael Ironside (X-Men: First Class, Terminator Salvation).  Extras include commentary, making of and trailer.

A Year in Champagne

First Run Features/ Released 5/12/15

The exploding cork. Endless tiny bubbles floating up and up in the glass. An indulgence. A celebration. A seduction. A triumph. This is the essence of Champagne, isn’t it? But it’s not just bubbles in a glass that makes the wine, or the mystique. Only sparkling wine produced within the boundaries of the Champagne region is truly “Champagne.”

At first glance, the region is not an obvious source of romance. Champagne’s history is grim and bloody, swept by war and destruction from Attila the Hun to the filthy trenches of WWI and the Nazi depredations of WWII. The environment for winemaking is desperately hard – northerly latitude, chalky soil, copious rain, frost, rot. Yet it’s these difficulties that help make the wine unique.

With renowned wine importer Martine Saunier as our guide, we get a rare glimpse behind the scenes into the real Champagne through six houses, from small independent makers like Champagne Saint-Chamant, where each and every bottle is still turned by hand in the cellars, to the illustrious houses of Gosset and Bollinger which have been instrumental in shaping the image of Champagne around the world. Extras include shorts and featurettes.

The Best of the Ed Sullivan Show

StarVista/Time Life / Released 5/12/15

No one had a better eye for talent than Ed Sullivan. That simple fact was confirmed by the broad range of incredible acts he brought into America’s living rooms from his Broadway stage between 1948 and 1971 on the greatest, longest-running prime time variety show in the history of television. This special edition release delivers the biggest names in music, comedy and variety captured in the prime of their careers, as well as all the astonishing novelty acts selected by Ed as his personal favorites, culled from over 1,000 hours of classic television!

Comedian Alan King famously said,”Ed Sullivan can’t sing, can’t dance and can’t tell a joke, but he does it better than anyone else.” And while the host of the eponymous show may not have been as talented as his guests, he had an uncanny ability to spot top-notch talent and welcomed everyone to his stage: politicians, poets, sports idols, Broadway stars, musicians — be they rock, classical, jazz, opera, gospel, pop, rhythm and blues — as well as comedians, novelty acts, children’s entertainment legends, and acts that defied label. Sullivan filled his weekly showcase with something for everyone, and he was so successful at it that he became America’s most powerful cultural arbiter. Presiding over many “firsts” on American television, including appearances by Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Jack Benny, Hank Williams, Jr., Itzhak Perlman and Harry Belafonte, Sullivan is probably best remembered for bringing us Elvis Presley’s three historic appearances in 1956/’57, and the Beatles’ three earth-shattering performances in 1964.

In its 23-year run, The Ed Sullivan Show presented a remarkable array of over 10,000 performers and celebrities, including the most spectacular ensemble of stars in show business and The Best of The Ed Sullivan Show reflects that across 6 carefully curated DVDs: “Unforgettable Performances,” “The All-Star Comedy Special,” “World’s Greatest Novelty Acts,” “Amazing Animal Acts,” the “50th Anniversary Special” and an exclusive bonus disc never before available at retail. The collection includes:

• Rare appearances by Barbra Streisand, Bobby Darin, Sammy Davis, Jr., Marlon Brando, Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire and more
• Rock ‘n’ roll’s greatest — including Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Buddy Holly, The Rolling Stones, The Doors, The Byrds, Janis Joplin and more
• Comedic talents Milton Berle, Carol Burnett, George Carlin, Rodney Dangerfield, Phyllis Diller, Jackie Gleason, Bob Hope, Richard Pryor, Joan Rivers, the Smothers Brothers, Flip Wilson and more
• Classic Broadway performances from My Fair Lady, Man of la Mancha and West Side Story
• The best of the daring acrobats, challenging balancing acts and dexterous jugglers-selected by Ed as his personal favorites
• Zippy the roller-skating chimp, Heidi the Talking Dog, the legendary Lipizzaner stallions and more than a dozen other amazing animal acts
• Sullivan in a rare comic sketch with comedy legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz

This historic DVD set contains over 2 hours of special bonus features, including the only surviving on-camera interview with Ed and Sylvia Sullivan, exclusive interviews with Milton Berle, Phyllis Diller, Shari Lewis, Johnny Mathis, Michelle Phillips, Joan Rivers, Smokey Robinson, Señor Wences, Flip Wilson and more.

Magical Universe

MPI / Released 5/12/15

Filmed for over a decade, Magical Universe is a portrait of Al Carbee, an 88-year-old strange and reclusive outsider artist who spends his days alone in a massive house in Maine creating art — mostly featuring Barbie Dolls in elaborate dioramas. The documentary profiles Carbee’s amazing body of work and his relentlessly creative lifestyle, Magical Universe explores this unique artist’s story through the prism of his unlikely friendship with filmmaker Jeremy Workman, who unexpectedly becomes Carbee’s closest friend and only link to the outside world. Far beyond just a portrait of an eccentric, Magical Universe is about wonder, friendship, and the transcendent power of creativity, culminates with Al Carbee’s greatest triumph as an artist and a man. Extras include trailers and featurettes.

Supercar: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory / Released 5/12/15

The marvel of the age! On land, sea, or in the air, you’ve never seen anything like Supercar! Piloted by the intrepid Mike Mercury, the ultimate all-terrain vehicle races from its base of operations in the Nevada desert in search of action and adventure. With the assistance of eccentric geniuses Professor Rudolph Popkiss and Dr. Horatio Beaker and his young sidekick Jimmy, Mercury travels the world to protect the innocent and bring the guilty-including his greatest foe, the fiendish Masterspy- to justice. In this complete series collection from Timeless Media Group, you can ride along for every thrilling exploit—all from the safety of your living room!

An early Supermarionation production from legendary producer Gerry Anderson, Supercar’s thirty-nine episodes set the stage for Anderson’s later triumphs, including Fireball XL-5, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons, and Thunderbirds. Groundbreaking in its time, Supercar-like all of Anderson’s creations- continues to fascinate to this day, sparking the imaginations of generations of children. Climb into the Mercury-manned machine of the future- Supercar! And kids, don’t forget to fasten your seatbelts.  Extras include Gerry Anderson interview, featurette and commentary.

Champs

Starz/Anchor Bay/ Released 5/12/15

Filmmaker Bert Marcus, Teenage Paparazzo (2010) & How to Make Money Selling Drugs (2013), explores the battle for the American Dream through the lives and careers of legendary boxers Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins. Through illuminating, candid and never-before-scene interviews, these champions reveal their journeys from poverty and violence, through fame and fortune, to self-destruction and self-discovery. Featuring clips from classic bouts and observations from journalists, educators and A-list celebrity fans that have found inspiration from boxers in their own lives, including Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Ron Howard, Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, Spike Lee and Mary J. Blige, the film uncovers the sometimes disturbing truths behind the controversial sport where the fight for glory is challenged only by the fight to survive. Champs truly transcends the sport of boxing.

The Drownsman

Starz/Anchor Bay/ Released 5/12/15

After almost drowning in a lake accident, Madison (Michelle Mylett, Antisocial) develops hydrophobia: an abnormal fear of water. After shutting the world and her friends out for over a year, her friends attempt an intervention. But, instead of curbing Madison’s fear, they unknowingly unleash something far worse: The vision of serial killer turned supernatural psychopath Sebastian Donner – known as The Drownsman – who begins to stalk the women one by one, dragging them into a lair of submerged torment from which there is no escape.

American Sniper

Warner Bros. / Released 5/19/15

Chris Kyle’s (Bradley Cooper) mission is to protect his brothers in arms while bring a prime target of insurgents. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya Renae Kyle (Sienna Miller), and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind. Extras include featurettes.

Last Word: If there was a film that has risen to become the must see picture of 2014 in the public’s eye, it would undoubtedly be American Sniper. With a phenomenal ad campaign highlighting the performance of its lead actor, the war film depicting America’s most lethal sharpshooter has produced more Twitter and Facebook fights than it has racked in dollars – over 300 million at this point. As divisive the portrayal of Chris Kyle has echoed in our society lately, there is little talk of the quality of the film in our 24/7 communication age. Perhaps that is due to Eastwood, who was not sure what he wanted his film to be – an anti-war film or a homage to the men and women in service.

One of the stand out moments from the TV spots leading up to the release of American Sniper was when Bradley Cooper’s character is looking through his scope at a child holding an explosive. We assume the film would show Chris Kyle as a tortured man, constantly dealing with the unenviable task of taking human lives to protect his brothers in arms. However, despite this scene – which turns out to be Kyle’s first confirmed kill – there is little in Cooper’s performance or the script to suggest this was the case. The man that develops the moniker, “The Legend,” is too sure his acts are righteous and, in turn, comes off as defiant to anybody outside of his military circle. Eastwood leaves the camera on Cooper many times as if he is hoping for his actor to break, but Cooper is superb at taking direction, much like the man he plays was taking orders.

However, there are moments of pain for Kyle in American Sniper, even if he doesn’t know it. “You think this war isn’t changing you, but it is!” his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller), says as she sees her husband turn into a one dimensional ghost over the years. Based on his mannerisms and rock-solid sheath he’s developed around him, it doesn’t seem like Kyle is bothered by it much. The only moment he relinquishes his role as a Navy SEAL is when he feels he’s done everything he can. If this was Eastwood’s way of creating an anti-war film, then Kyle’s relationship with his family would have played a larger part. Instead, Eastwood focuses on the elite soldiers and the family they have created amongst themselves. It is done quite well, but the messages are mixed.

The directing and acting in American Sniper carry the film as the story jaggedly goes back and forth between the Kyle family, that status of the war, and the battle between The Legend and his nemesis – an Iraqi sniper. The narrative leaves much to be desired, especially in the way it depicts Kyle’s death – he was murdered by a troubled ex-marine he was trying to help. While Eastwood hasn’t directed anything this focused since Letters from Iwo Jima, it is hard to get a sense of Chris Kyle, even after the long feeling 132 minutes.

Cooper has done wonders with a role that is ultimately one-dimensional and he deserves every applause and accolade he receives. However, if someone viewing this film is convinced of the man Chris Kyle was – one way or the other – then they are wrong. His focus was too narrowed and his personality so dull in this film that one would have thought Eastwood would have waited for a better adaptation. ( – Nate Davis)

Hot Tub Time Machine 2

Paramount/ Released 5/19/15

Taking place five years after the original film, when Lou (Rob Corddry), who has become the “father of the Internet,” is shot by an unknown assailant, Jacob (Clark Duke) and Nick (Craig Robinson) fire up the time machine in attempt to save their friend by going back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. (Adam Scott) Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past – which is really the present. Also starring Gillian Jacobs, Chevy Chase, Collette Wolfe and Kumail Nanjiani.

Last Word: Hot Tub Time Machine 2 might be not only one of the most unncessary sequels ever made, but it’s distinctive for being completely humorless and devoid of any of the charm found in the original film.  One problem is the absence of John Cusack, who opted not to be a part of the film (but appears in a scene in the extended edition).  The other problem is that in this film all of the characters are unlikeable and the time travel plot is virtually incomprehensible and worse, inconsequential.  You don’t care.  You just want it to end.

It! the Terror From Beyond Space

Olive Films/ Released 5/19/15

Following a rescue mission to Mars, the survivor of a space expedition claims that his crew was hunted down and killed by an alien creature. Skeptical, and believing that the survivor may have killed the crew in order to survive, the rescue captain dismisses the explanation only to find that a Martian creature has stowed away on the spacecraft and begins to hunt the human hosts.

It! The Terror From Beyond Space stars Marshall Thompson (The Clock) as Col. Carruthers, Shirley Patterson (The Land Unknown) as Ann Anderson, Kim Spalding (The Gunfighter) as Col. Van Heusen and Ray Corrigan (New Frontier) as “It”.  Extras include a trailer.

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man 

Shout! Factory / Released 5/19/15

In the lawless world of the future, a couple of modern-day, motorcycle-ridin’ Robin Hoods, drifters Harley Davidson (Rourke) and The Marlboro Man (Johnson) help an old friend save his bar by robbing the very bank trying to take over his property. But this is no ordinary bank and the armored car they roll is filled not with money – but drugs! Now Harley and Marlboro become the objects of a ruthless manhunt by the corrupt bank chief’s deadly and unstoppable henchmen. Starring Mickey Rourke (Get Carter), Don Johnson (Tin Cup) and Vanessa L. Williams (Shaft), Harley Davidson and The Marlboro Man contains thrills and excitement that never let up – with surprise twists at every turn. Extras include vintage featurette and trailer.

Peter Benchley’s Creature

Olive Films/ Released 5/19/15

When a top-secret government project – an amphibious shark-like monster terrorizes an abandoned secret military base and wrecks havoc and terror on the small coastal community it is located on. Dr. Simon Chase (Craig T. Nelson), a marine biologist, and Dr. Macy (Kim Cattrall) pursue and try to  capture or kill the creature before it is too late.  Peter Benchley’s Creature, a terrifying and gripping tale of science gone wrong, features supporting performances by Colm Feore, Giancarlo Esposito, and Michael Michele and a cameo by author Peter Benchley.

Extremities

Olive Films / Released 5/19/15

Farrah Fawcett stars as Marjorie, the victim of a robbery and near rape by an attacker (Joe played by James Russo, Beverly Hills Cop) who she has successfully fought off. But her feeling of safety is short-lived when she realizes that Joe has her address from the stolen items. An emboldened Marjorie puts a plan into action; she’ll turn the tables on her attacker, making the aggressor the victim. After entering her home, Joe finds himself overpowered, outmaneuvered and held captive by the newly empowered Marjorie. Now the real battle begins. Extremities is a tense, edge of your seat drama based on the smash off-Broadway play that garnered Farrah Fawcett a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a dramatic role.

Extremities features supporting performances by Alfre Woodard (Passion Fish), Diana Scarwid (Mommie Dearest) and James Avery (The Blues Brothers, TV’s The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air).

Flawless

Olive Films / Released 5/19/15

When the once highly decorated police officer Walter Koontz (Robert De Niro) suffers a stroke while attempting to aid a neighbor, an unorthodox form of therapy is prescribed to help him overcome a resulting speech impediment. The suggested therapy becomes even more unorthodox when Walter asks his neighbor, Rusty (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a flamboyant drag queen with musical talent (and the past recipient of Walter’s ire) for help. The unlikely arrangement soon mellows into a grudging friendship in writer/director Joel Schumacher’s Flawless.

Flawless features supporting performances by Wilson Jermaine Heredia, Barry Miller and Chris Bauer.  Extras include a trailer.

Glee: The Final Season

20th Century Fox/ Released 5/19/15

In the exhilarating, heart-rending final season of Glee, club favorites reunite and a new group of young performers takes center stage! Following her disastrously short sitcom career, Rachel returns to McKinley High to find Principal Sue Sylvester trampling the arts – including the glee club. Without missing a beat, Rachel and a newly single Kurt set out to revitalize New Directions, hoping for a shot at the national title. It won’t be easy since Will and Blaine now coach rival groups Vocal Adrenaline and The Warblers. With thrilling musical numbers and compelling plot lines featuring much of the beloved original cast, the final season of Glee culminates in a celebration of Life, Music, Friendship and Love. Extras include featurettes and video jukebox.

Last Word:  In an attempt to wrap up plot threads from the previous seasons, Glee successfully overstayed it’s welcome by five seasons.  The previous season’s cast additions were ignored entirely as the series once again refocused on the McKinley High graduates from seasons past.  Former ensemble cast members and guest stars Amber Riley, Dianna Agron, Heather Morris, Naya Rivera, Mark Salling, Becca Tobin, Jenna Ushkowitz, Iqbal Theba, Max Adler, Lauren Potter,  Jayma Mays, Alex Newell, Mike O’Malley, Romy Rosemont, Harry Shum Jr., Jonathan Groff, Jessalyn Gilsig, Jacob Artist, Blake Jenner, Jim Rash, Scott ‘Carrot Top’ Thompson, Jim J. Bullock, Harry Hamlin, Ken Jeong, Jennifer Coolidge, Gina Gershon, Gloria Estefan, Carol Burnett, Geraldo Rivera, Michael Bolton, Carnie Wilson, and Malin Akerman all make appearances.  The season’s highlight, the second to last episode is a Rosencrantz and Guilderstern-esque flashback to the first season, culminating with old footage of deceased cast member Cory Monteith.  The series ends on a self-congratulatory ridiculous finale that tarnishes the genuine emotion of the previous episode.  For completists only.

Food of the Gods/Frogs

Shout! Factory/ Released 5/26/15

The Food Of The Gods
Legendary director Bert I. Gordon (The Amazing Colossal Man, Attack of the Puppet People) the father of the “gigantic creature”, genre delivers this spine-tingling tale of ecology gone berserk. Based on H.G. Wells’ classic horror novel, The Food Of The Gods predicts a terrifying future where oversized animals are suddenly at the top of the food chain and ready to take over!

On a remote island, a mysterious substance is oozing from the ground. A farmer sees that it acts as a growth hormone and thinks his fortune is made. But when rats, chickens, worms and wasps begin sampling the potent substance, they morph into bloodthirsty giants! Now, it’s up to the island’s few residents and visitors to destroy “the food of the gods”,… before the animals take over for good!  Extras include commentary, interview, trailer, gallery and radio spot.

Frogs
Frogs is an amphibious horror flick teeming with thousands of nasty-tempered creatures that are hopping mad: and murderous.

Jason Crockett (Ray Milland) is an aging, physically disabled millionaire who invites his family to his island estate for his birthday party. The old man is more than crotchety… he’s crazy! Hating nature, Crockett poisons anything that crawls on his property. But on the night of his shindig, it’s nature’s payback time, as thousands of frogs whip up every bug and slimy thing into a toxic frenzy until the entire environment goes environ-mental. Sam Elliott  and Joan Van Ark also star. Extras include interview, trailer, gallery and radio spot.

Cut Bank 

Lionsgate / Released 5/26/15

Looking to leave his sleepy town of Cut Bank, Dwayne McLaren (Liam Hemsworth) hatches a get-rich scheme to get himself out. But when Dwayne’s plan backfires and he’s swept into a murder investigation led by the local sheriff (John Malkovich), he discovers that Cut Bank is a small town full of big – and deadly – surprises in this star-powered thriller filled with clever plot twists, dark humor, and unforgettable characters. Extras include commentary, featurette, deleted and extended scenes.

Ski School 

Olive Films/ Released 5/26/15

Skiing is a high stakes game for Reid Janssens (Mark Thomas Miller), the preppy, pretentious and very serious skier who rules the slopes. And then there’s Dave Marshak (Dean Cameron), a reckless party animal, but with equally impressive skills on white powder. Like oil & water, these two do not mix. So, it’s a fight to the finish as they set out to win the title in the end-of-season downhill race, which tests their endurance as they battle one another on and off the slopes in the action-comedy Ski School.  Also stars Darlene Vogel, Ava Fabian and Stuart Fratkin.  Extras include trailer.

Empire Of The Ants / Jaws Of Satan

Shout! Factory / Released 5/26/15

Empire Of The Ants
Brace yourself for mutant mayhem and pestilent payback in this creature feature about good bugs gone BAD! Starring Joan Collins (Dynasty, Tales From The Crypt), this incredible insect extravaganza is swarming with flesh-crawling chills, hair-raising thrills and spine-tingling terror. Directed by the great Bert I. Gordon (Attack Of The Puppet People, The Amazing Colossal Man, Village Of The Giants), Empire Of The Ants is a towering H.G. Wells tale come to terrifying life!  Extras include commentary, trailer, tv spots and radio spot.

Jaws Of Satan
Satan takes the form of a cobra in this spine-chilling tale of terror. Commanded by the Prince of Darkness, snakes terrorize a small town in Alabama just as the town’s new dog racing park is about to open. The local doctor, the town priest and a “snake expert”, must band together to save the town from his evil scheme! Fritz Weaver (Creepshow), Gretchen Corbett (Let’s Scare Jessica To Death), Jon Korkes (Syngenor) and a young Christina Applegate (Married With Children, Streets, Anchorman) star. Extras include trailer.

Erik the Viking 

Olive Films/ Released 5/26/15

Norse mythology meets Monty Python-esque humor in the Terry Jones written & directed comedy, Erik The Viking. Erik (Tim Robbins, The Player, The Shawshank Redemption), the Viking of the title, in an effort to petition the gods to save the planet for the impending Ragnarok – “the end of the world” – must travel to Asgard with a less-than-stellar crew at his side. The supporting players include Mickey Rooney (The Black Stallion, It’s A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World), Eartha Kitt (Boomerang, The Emperor’s New Groove), John Cleese (A Fish Called Wanda, Yellowbeard), Terry Jones (Jabberwocky, Monty Python and The Holy Grail) and Charles McKeown (Brazil, Monty Python’s The Life of Brian).  Extras include trailer.

Yellowbeard 

Olive Films/ Released 5/26/15

Having survived a 20-year incarceration for tax evasion, the notorious pirate Yellowbeard (Graham Chapman, Monty Python’s Life of Brian) escapes to claim his hidden treasure after the Royal Navy imposes a bogus additional prison sentence. Gathering a crew of miscreants and ne’re-do-wells (AKA his friend and companions), Yellowbeard sets out to locate the treasure map (which has been inexplicably tattooed on his son’s head) and find the booty in this comic riff on the swashbuckler.

With supporting turns from cast mates John Cleese, Eric Idle, Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Madeline Kahn, Kenneth Mars, Martin Hewitt, ‘Cheech’ Marin, Tommy Chong, Peter Cook, Spike Milligan, Ferdy Mayne and James Mason, Yellowbeard provides hilarious hijinks on the high seas.  Extras include trailer.

Sword Of Vengeance

Well Go USA / Released 5/26/15

From the creator of Hammer Of The Gods, starring Stanley Weber and Annabelle Wallis comes the story of a Norman prince, freed from slavery, who seeks revenge on his father’s murderer his ruthless uncle, Earl Durant (Karel Roden). Gaining the trust of a band of exiled farmers, he leads them into battle against Durant, exploiting them in his quest to satisfy his code of honor. Will the prince sacrifice everything and everyone to quench his thirst for bloody retribution? Extras include interviews, behind the scenes and trailer.

Jupiter Ascending

Warner Bros. / Released 6/2/15

Jupiter Jones was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning toilets and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine, a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along – her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos. Extras include featurettes.

Last Word: With Jupiter Ascending, The Wachowski’s have successfully proven that their box-office success with The Matrix was a fluke.  With a heavy emphasis on production design and special effects, it seems that little effort was actually put into the screenplay.  Full of derivative concepts, the film is a soulless, empty husk of a science fiction blockbuster.  The actors (especially Tatum and Kunis) have little chemistry with one another and the effects aren’t anything that audiences haven’t seen before.  And worst of all, the film is dull.  The energy and excitement seen in Bound, The Matrix and yes, Speed Racer, has all but disappeared.  I’m hoping that the talented siblings become a little less self indulgent and go back to telling captivating stories and push the conventions of filmmaking.

The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water

Paramount / Released 6/2/15

On a mission to save his world, SpongeBob SquarePants is headed to ours for the first time ever! When pirate Burger Beard (Antonio Banderas) steals the secret recipe for the beloved Krabby Patties, SpongeBob and friends come ashore to bring back the missing formula. To succeed, they must team up with former rival, Plankton, but soon realize that to defeat a super-villain, they must unleash their inner superheroes. Extras include music videos, featurettes, storyboards and deleted scenes.

McFarland USA

Disney/Buena Vista / Released 6/2/15

In the tradition of Disney sports movies comes McFarland, USA, based on a true story of underdogs triumphing over tremendous obstacles. This heartwarming drama follows novice runners who strive to build a cross-country team under Coach Jim White (Kevin Costner) in their predominantly Latino high school. Everyone has a lot to learn about each other, but when Coach realizes the boys’ exceptional running ability, things change. Beyond their talent, it’s the power of family, commitment to each other and work ethic that transform them into champions – helping them achieve their own American dream. Extras include featurette, music video, deleted and extended scenes.

Scarecrows

Shout! Factory / Released 6/2/15

The film begins with a multi-million dollar heist of a Marine installation’s payroll, masterminded by paramilitary leader Ted Vernon. While Vernon and his cohorts are making their escape in a chartered plane headed for Mexico, one of the robbers double-crosses the others and causes the plane to crash-land in the wilderness.  Here the survivors find themselves on the ground and on the run through a field of scarecrows near an abandoned farmhouse. And as night sets in, the real nightmare begins. The men discover that there’s a reason the farmhouse is empty… and now those who thought they were the hunters are being hunted by an unimaginable and malevolent force, “Scarecrows,” a tribe of unexplained-origin ghouls who kill their victims with machetes, gut their insides, and stuff the corpses with straw.  Extras include commentary, interviews, galleries, storyboards and trailer.

Monsters: Dark Continent

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 6/2/15

Taking place 10 years after the events of its predecessor, Monsters: Dark Continent is set against the backdrop of a world proliferated by “Infected Zones.” An insurgency of fearsome monsters lord over these regions and threaten humanity. The film follows four fresh army recruits as they embark on a life-altering mission in the Middle East, through the heart of monster territory to save a group of fellow soldiers. Extras include featurettes.

The Taking of Tiger Mountain

Well Go USA / Released 6/2/15

Tsui Harks thrilling adaptation of Qu Bos beloved adventure novel stars Tony Leung Ka-fai as a ruthless bandit, ruling the lands of Northeast China from his fortress on Tiger Mountain. A captain of the Liberation Army (Lin Gengxin) launches a counter-insurgency against the dictator with a skilled investigator (Zhang Hanyu) sent to destroy the gang from the inside. Extras include interviews and trailer.

The Pope Of Greenwich Village / Desperate Hours 

Shout! Factory / Released 6/2/15

The Pope Of Greenwich Village
In New York’s Little Italy, smooth-talking hustler Charlie (Mickey Rourke) works in a restaurant and dreams of one day buying his own with his girlfriend Diane (Daryl Hannah). His wiry wheeler-dealer cousin Paulie (Eric Roberts) waits tables, skims money off checks and is always scheming to score big. But they’re all about to pull a scam on the wrong guy – Bed Bug Eddie (Burt Young), the Mafia king of Greenwich Village! Now these small time con men are in big-time trouble – trouble so big that even their mobster uncle might not be able to save them!

Desperate Hours
From Oscar winner Michael Cimino (1978 Best Director, The Deer Hunter) comes this taut psychological thriller about a family held hostage in their own home. In dire need of a hideout, escaped convict Michael Bosworth (Mickey Rouke) uses his charming smile to gain entry into the posh home of Nora and Tim Cornell (Mimi Rogers and Anthony Hopkins) and their two children. While waiting for his beautiful lawyer- turned- accomplice (Kelly Lynch) to arrive, Bosworth’s smile soon explodes into homicidal rage when the Cornells desperately try to fight back. Holding the family at gunpoint and ruthlessly pitting husband against wife, Bosworth’s fury escalates into a shocking night of terror and cold-blooded murder. Finally, the family is forced to take a stand that will either destroy them… or unite them as never before.

Smiling Through The Apocalypse: Esquire in the 60s

First Run Features / Released 6/2/15

Exploring the revolution in journalism sparked by the turbulence of the 1960s, Smiling Through the Apocalypse: Esquire in the 60s is the story of maverick editor Harold T.P. Hayes, who made Esquire magazine a galvanizing force in American culture.

In this fascinating documentary, filmmaker Tom Hayes (Harold’s son) paints a portrait of editorial genius using the voices and images of the iconic writers, photographers and artists who, with Hayes at the helm, brought Esquire to the vanguard of the cultural revolution.

Encouraging unprecedented journalistic freedom, Hayes curated many of the most talented artists and writers of the time including Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Nora Ephron, Peter Bogdanovich, Gore Vidal, Norman Mailer, and George Lois, all of whom provide vivid recollections of those charmed years in the film. He also gave bylines to established literary giants, among them Dorothy Parker and W.H. Auden. Extras include three extended interviews (Gore Vidal on William Buckley • Nora Ephron at Esquire • Gay Talese: Sinatra has a Cold).

Camp X-Ray

MPI  Media / Released 6/2/15

Hoping to escape her small town roots and make a difference in the world, a young woman (Kristen Stewart) joins the military and is soon assigned a guard position at Guantanamo Bay. Surrounded by hostile jihadists and aggressive squadmates, she discovers that her mission is far from the black and white ideal she thought it would be. Striking up an unusual friendship with one of the detainees, she finds herself in an ethical quagmire that upends the simple view of the war she had and may lead to an unlikely bond between two sworn rivals. Featuring a standout performance from Stewart, Camp X-Ray is an incisive look at a conflict where nothing is as simple as good vs. evil. Extras include making of and trailer.

Thunderbirds: The Complete Series 

Shout! Factory / Released 6/9/15

Thunderbirds ARE GO! The Supermarionation cult television classic leaps into the stratosphere of fun and excitement with Thunderbirds: The Complete Series! Operating from a top-secret island base in the year 2065, the team at International Rescue- intrepid Jeff Tracy and his valiant sons Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon, and Alan- engage in a never-ending humanitarian crusade to protect the innocent. Traveling via land, sea, air, and space in their fantastically advanced vehicles, the Tracys take on the most impossible of missions with courage, honor… and their greatest strength of all: the power of family.  

Thunderbirds is probably Gerry Anderson’s best known creation and depicts the adventures of the Tracy family, which consists of millionaire former astronaut Jeff Tracy (one of the first men to land on the moon) and his five sons: Scott (pilot of Thunderbird 1 and principal rescue co-ordinator), Virgil(pilot of Thunderbird 2), Alan (astronaut in Thunderbird 3), Gordon (aquanaut in Thunderbird 4) and John (principal duty astronaut on the space station Thunderbird 5) – each named after a Mercury astronaut – Scott Carpenter, Virgil Grissom, Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper and John Glenn, respectively. Together with Jeff’s elderly mother called Grandma Tracy, the scientific genius and engineer “Brains”, the family’s manservant Kyrano and his daughter Tin-Tin, the Tracy family live on a remote, uncharted island.

International Rescue’s London agent, international socialite Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, and her Cockney butler/chauffeur Aloysius “Nosey” Parker, are often seen chasing The Hood and other villains in the pink, amphibious Rolls-RoyceFAB1, which is equipped with James Bond-style gadgets. (Rolls-Royce actually provided an authentic radiator grille to the production company for closeups of FAB-1, such as when the retractable machine gun was fired.) Lady Penelope’s yacht is called FAB-2.  Extras include documentary and printable publicity brochure.

Spider Baby 

Arrow / Released 6/9/15

                                                                                                                            

The credits dub this “the maddest story ever told”, a promise that’s well on the way to being fulfilled in the opening scene alone, when Virginia traps and kills a hapless deliveryman in her makeshift web. She’s one of three siblings who suffer from a unique genetic disorder that causes them to regress back to childhood, while retaining the physical strength and sexual maturity of adults.

Lon Chaney Jr gave one of his most memorable late performances as Bruno, their guardian and protector, who has managed to cover up their crimes until two distant relatives lay claim to their house. When they insist on moving in, Bruno has to cross his fingers and hope that the ‘children’ behave towards their new guests…

This was the first solo feature by Jack Hill, whom Quentin Tarantino dubbed “the Howard Hawks of exploitation filmmaking”, and it remains one of his wildest and weirdest. Extras include commentary, film festival panel, featurettes, alternate opening titles sequence, extended scene, trailer, gallery and short film, The Host.

Transporter the Series Season 2

20th Century Fox/ Released 6/9/15

Chris Vance returns for more white-knuckle thrills in the high-octane second season of Transporter: The Series. Partnering with ex-DGSE agent Caterina Boldieu (Violante Placido), Frank Martin (Vance) undertakes his most perilous, high-stakes assignments so far. As he risks his life to deliver highly sensitive cargo against the odds, the ever-growing uncertainty about who to trust looms. From deep in the Sahara to a small town in Belarus to a horse stable in Kentucky, Frank must make split-second decisions, all while sinister criminals set out to stop him. Like the treacherous roads Frank speeds along, this spine-tingling series is filled with enough twists and turns to leave you in overdrive.

Includes the episodes:

• 2B Or Not 2B: Frank tries to protect a boy who witnessed his father’s murder and safely deliver him to court to testify.
• We Go Back: Frank is enlisted by an old army buddy to go to Libya to rescue their mutual friend, but Frank soon realizes not all is as it seems.
• Sex, Lies and Video Tapes: Frank collects a package from an Albanian pimp, only to get entangled in sex trafficking and a young woman’s disappearance.
• Boom: Frank is assigned to deliver a briefcase to a mine in the Sahara, but he must spring to the rescue when an explosion traps a group of miners.
• Beacon of Hope: Frank and Caterina try to rescue a wounded aid worker, only to run afoul of a warlord and his minions.
• Diva: Frank transports a famous singer to and from her gigs, but the job takes a sinister twist when a motorcyclist opens fire on them.
• T2: Frank is enlisted to retrieve an important document in Crimea, but to complete the job he must join forces with the world’s second best transporter and a young computer maven.
• Chimera: rank is enlisted by the FBI to seize a chemical weapon from a Chinese crime lord operating in a restaurant in Chicago’s Chinatown.
• Euphro: Crooked officers target Inspector Tarconi when he tries to crush an infamous smuggler of fake medicines.
• Trust: Frank searches for a woman who was once in an abusive relationship with a tech-company CEO. Complicating matters: Frank is framed for the woman’s vanishing.
• Sixteen Hands: Frank is enlisted to transport a thoroughbred racehorse to the Belmont Stakes in New York, but he must deal with a mysterious attacker who broke into the stable.
• End Game: Frank tries to obtain a cyber bomb in order to save the life of the woman he loves, yet Caterina is certain he’s being set up. Also: Frank squares off against the formidable Bernard Dassin.

Judgment at Nuremberg

Kino Lorber/ Released 6/9/15

Winner of two Academy Awards including Actor in a Leading Role (Maximilian Schell, The Black Hole) and nominated for eleven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Judgment at Nuremberg is a magnificent achievement in filmmaking, boasting brilliant performances by an all-star cast. American judge Dan Haywood (Spencer Tracy, Inherit the Wind) presides over the trial of four German jurists accused of “legalizing” Nazi atrocities. But as graphic accounts of sterilization and murder unfold in the courtroom, mounting political pressure for leniency forces Haywood to make the most harrowing and difficult decision of his career. This masterpiece, considered by many as one of the greatest films of all time was directed by the great Stanley Kramer (On the Beach) with a stupendous cast that includes Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Montgomery Clift and William Shatner. Extras include featurettes.

Inherit the Wind

Kino Lorber / Released 6/9/15

Acting legends Spencer Tracy (Judgment at Nuremberg) and Fredric March (The Iceman Cometh) go toe-to-toe in this thrilling recreation of the most titanic courtroom battle of the century. The great Stanley Kramer (On the Beach) directs this masterpiece featuring Gene Kelly (On the Town) in a rare, critically acclaimed dramatic role, Inherit the Wind is powerful, provocative cinema and a heaping measure of entertainment. The controversial subject of evolution versus creation causes two polar opposites to engage in one explosive battle of beliefs. Attorney Clarence Darrow (Tracy) faces off against fundamentalist leader William Jennings Bryan (March) in a small Tennessee town where a teacher has been brought to trial for teaching Darwinism. The stellar supporting cast includes Dick York, Donna Anderson, Harry Morgan, Claude Akins, Norman Fell and Noah Beery Jr.

The Squeeze

Arc Entertainment/ Released 6/9/15

A young golf phenom, Augie Baccus, struggles to provide for his mom and sister in small, rural town.When a flashy gambler, Riverboat, rolls into town, he instantly sees the potential for a big payoff using Augie’s outstanding skills. They join forces and start hustling all the way to Las Vegas. Infamous mobster Jimmy Diamond sets up a million-dollar match and threatens Augie’s life if he doesn’t lose. When Riverboat finds out, he threatens Augie’s life if he doesn’t win. Win or lose, he’s dead. Caught in the squeeze, his only chance is to pull off the biggest stingin the history of golf.

Bob Hope – Entertaining The Troops

MVD / Released 6/9/15

World War II affected everyone, and everyone found his or her own way of helping the cause. For American entertainers, choices included enlisting, selling war bonds, visiting the wounded, and entertaining the troops. In this 90-minute documentary, filmmaker Robert Mugge pays tribute to hundreds of well-known (and not so well-known) performers who assisted the military both at home and abroad.

Included are rare period performances by the likes of Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Dorothy Lamour, Frances Langford, the Andrews Sisters, Abbott and Costello, Lena Horne, Carole Landis, Dinah Shore, Jerry Colonna, Danny Kaye, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Larry Adler, Kay Kaiser, Cass Daley, Irving Berlin, Bugs Bunny, and many others, as well as special appearances by such prominent actors as Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Marlene Dietrich, Carole Lombard (in the last appearance before her untimely death), and Edward G. Robinson. Rounding out this tribute are 1988 interviews with Dorothy Lamour (“the Bond Bombshell”), Frances Langford (“the G.I. Sweetheart”), Mel Blanc (the voice of World War II’s Private Snafu, alias the Sad Sack), and Maxene Andrews of the Andrews Sisters, as well as a reunion of Bob Hope’s World War II troupe of performers (videotaped just three days before Hope’s 85th birthday). Extras include footage of 1988 reunion of Bob Hope’s WWII troupe of performers.

Revenge of the Ninja 

Kino Lorber/ Released 5/26/15

Payback is deadly! The Ninjas are back! Brandishing swords and fists, leaping and kicking, wielding blow darts and explosives, they know a thousand ways to kill. Martial arts legend Sho Kosugi (Enter the Ninja) delivers a heart-pounding display of strength, speed and lethal Ninja know-how in this action-packed thriller that takes us back to the good old days of the Kung Fu extravaganza. When a band of Ninja assassins slaughters the family of Cho Osaki (Kosugi), he flees to America in the hope of building a new life. A former Ninja himself, Osaki tries to escape his deadly past but soon discovers he has become the pawn of a ruthless drug trafficker – an American Ninja intent on killing anyone who crosses his path… including Osaki! Action veteran Sam Firstenberg (Avenging Force) directed this entertaining martial arts actioner, featuring top-notch action scenes and mind-blowing stunts. Co-starring legendary villain, Professor Toru Tanaka (An Eye For An Eye) and produced by Cannon legends, Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan. Extras include commentary, gallery, trailer and introduction.

Enter the Ninja 

Kino Lorber/ Released 5/26/15

The Ninja is the highest honor given to the dedicated followers of Ninjutsu, the deadliest of all martial arts… Enter the Ninja explores the absorbing detail the Ninja’s lethal, little-known “Art of Invisibility” which includes the use of hypnotism, explosives, and super-human acrobatic fighting skills. Set in Japan and the Philippines, the film tells the story of Cole (Franco Nero, The Mercenary) a westerner who’s been inducted into the secret fighting rituals of the Ninja. Coming to the aid of his friends against some land grabbing oil barons, he easily takes on all opponents until a Ninja assassin; Hasegawa (Sho Kosugi, Revenge of the Ninja) is brought into the fray. The two masters make use of all the exotic weaponry at their disposal… making this one of the most sensational battle-to-the-death sequences ever filmed! Hollywood legend Menahem Golan (The Delta Force) directed this fast-paced, high quality, tough-as-nails martial arts film with style and poise. Co-starring Susan George (Sudden Terror) and Christopher George (Day of the Animals).

Doctor Who: The Cybermen

BBC Home Video/ Released 5/19/15

Few villains in the fantastical world of Doctor Who spark such terror as the dreaded Cybermen – the murderous cyborgs with a bone chilling lack of emotion. This special release features thrilling episodes with David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi as well as a bonus 4-part Classic Doctor Who Cybermen story and an all-new documentary on the genesis of these frightening creatures. Sure to be a favorite with current and new fans alike!

Includes:

• Army of Ghosts: The human race rejoices as the ghosts of loved ones return home in the latest adventure from the nation’s favorite time traveller. But as the Doctor, Rose and Jackie investigate the Torchwood Tower, the whole of modern-day Earth threatens to fall to an almighty invasion force. 

• Doomsday: It’s the end of an epic journey as two mighty armies wage war across the Earth, with the human race caught in the middle. But as an unstoppable terror emerges from beneath Torchwood, the Doctor faces an even greater dilemma – does saving the world mean the death of Rose Tyler?

• Closing Time: In the last few days of his life, the Doctor pays a farewell visit his old friend Craig, and encounters a mystery. People are going missing, a silver rat scuttles in the shadows of a department store, and somewhere close by the Cybermen are waiting. 

• Nightmare in Silver: Hedgewick’s World of Wonders was once the greatest theme park in the galaxy, but it’s now the dilapidated home to a shabby showman, a chess playing dwarf and a dysfunctional army platoon. When the Doctor, Clara, Artie and Angie arrive, the last thing they expect is the re-emergence of one of the Doctor’s oldest foes. The Cybermen are back! 

• Dark Water: With Cybermen on the streets of London, old friends unite against old enemies, and the Doctor takes to the air in a startling new role. Can the mighty UNIT contain Missy? As the Doctor faces his greatest challenge, sacrifices must be made before the day is won. 

• Death in Heaven: With Cybermen on the streets of London, old friends unite against old enemies, and the Doctor takes to the air in a startling new role. Can the mighty UNIT contain Missy? As the Doctor faces his greatest challenge, sacrifices must be made before the day is won.

Extras include:

• Earthshock (Episodes 1-4): The mysterious disappearance of an archaeological team is merely the prelude to a deadlier threat for the Doctor and his companions – the Cybermen want to destroy Earth and will use any means at their disposal. The Doctor’s ingenuity is stretched to its very limits as he battles to defeat the Cyber army at any cost. But even he does not realize just how high that cost will be. 

• Cybermen Origins: A New Documentary chronicling the creation of the dreaded monsters

CPO Sharkey: Season One

Time/Life / Released 5/19/15

Previously unavailable on any format, the ’70s-era sitcom was a showcase for iconic comedian Don Rickles, who played U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer Otto Sharkey, an abrasive, sharp-tongued veteran in charge of a company of new seaman recruits on a San Diego naval base.

As a 24-year naval veteran, Otto Sharkey had pretty much seen and heard it all. The unseasoned recruits he whipped into shape received most of his wisdom, though sometimes it was served up as sharp-tongued, ethnic barbs: there was Daniels (Jeff Hollis), an African-American, the Polish Kowalski (Tom Ruben), the Jewish Skolnick (David Landsberg), Mignone (Barry Pearl), an Italian-American and Rodriguez (Richard Beauchamp), a Puerto Rican. And, though the men of Company 144 were bunglers and blockheads, they were his bunglers and blockheads — ready, willing, and able to endure one verbal Shark attack after another. Beneath his barbed exterior, however, there was a heart of gold and Otto helped his recruits survive boot camp and life with equal measure. Sharkey was joined on base by his best friend, Chief Dave Robinson (Harrison Page), his assistant, Seaman Lester Pruitt (Peter Isacksen), a 6′ 7″ Southerner filled with simple-minded homilies and his immediate superior, the smug, buck-toothed Lt. Whipple (Jonathan Daly).

In CPO Sharkey: The Complete First Season, Sharkey often goes above and beyond the call of duty. He quells a boot camp mutiny brewing in his group, intervenes as a marriage counselor for a disruptive new recruit, and heads south of the border to Tijuana to spring his guys, who were thrown in the slammer for cheering the bull at a bullfight. Extras include a legendary ’70s clip from The Tonight Show featuring Johnny Carson storming the CPO Sharkey set.

Rogue: The Complete Second Season  

Entertainment One/ Released 5/19/15

Undercover detective Grace Travis (Thandie Newton) crossed the line between right and wrong and her involvement with the city’s most powerful and dangerous crime family caused her to pay the ultimate price – the loss of her son.

This season, she’s left undercover life behind to be a better mother to her daughter. She also has a new job as a handler for an FBI task force investigating corporate espionage in San Francisco. Recently separated, with the arrival of her estranged mother, she has plenty of drama on the job – and at home. But when her undercover operative goes missing, Grace is forced back into a world of lies and deceit, following a trail of dirty money and investigating four soldiers at the center of the drama. Extras include featurettes.

Welcome to Sweden: Season One

Entertainment One/ Released 5/19/15

Based on Greg Poehler’s true life story, Welcome To Sweden, follows a successful New York money manager to the stars, Bruce (Greg Poehler) who falls in love with a Swedish girl, Emma (Josephine Bornebusch, top-rated Swedish drama “Solsidan”), and follows her back to her native Stockholm when she returns for a job. Moving halfway around the world with a new love is a huge step and Bruce, with no job, friends or real clue about what he is getting himself into, is quick to face the many unique challenges and culture clashes that living in a foreign land presents — most notably, how to win over Emma’s strange and very Swedish family. From Bruce’s comical struggles to learn the language to his exploits behind the wheel of a Swedish car, run-ins at the immigration office and with his celebrity clientele, Welcome To Sweden reveals itself to be “romantically old-fashioned… and delightfully weird”.

Making his acting debut, Greg stars in the series along with Bornebusch, and Lena Olin as Emma’s therapist mother Viveka, retired sea captain father, Birger (Claes Månsson), and Illeana Douglas and Patrick Duffy as Bruce’s parents. They’re joined in the inaugural season by guest stars Amy Poehler, Aubrey Plaza, Will Ferrell and Gene Simmons, who make guest appearances as themselves in this series predominately shot on location in Stockholm.

Lovesick

Anchor Bay/ Released 5/19/15

Lovesick is the comic tale of Charlie Darby (Matt LeBlanc), a man who has everything going for him: a great job as an elementary school principal, supportive friends and a wonderful life. The one thing that Charlie doesn’t have is love because every time he starts to fall for a girl, his brain chemistry changes and he goes clinically insane. When he meets Molly Kingston (Ali Larter), a former dancer who just might be his perfect match, Charlie is confronted with the consequences of his condition. With the help of his friend Jason (Adam Rodriguez) and the often-misguided advice from his wacky neighbor Lester (Chevy Chase), Charlie must find a way to overcome his psychosis to claim his chance at true love.

On Tender Hooks

MVD/ Released 5/19/15

An eye-opening documentary exploring the world of human suspension which challenges the perceptions and squeamishness of even the most hardened viewer. On Tender Hooks looks at the body modification and suspension community without judgement and director Shenton – in the spirit of Nick Broomfield – places herself in the film and participates in a session. In terms of intensity, On Tender Hooks knocks seven bells out of most horror films. Whether you think it’s disgusting or intriguing, the film is a fascinating look at a subculture many will find bizarre, even frightening. Extras include commentary and 3 short films.

Sons of Liberty

Lionsgate / Released 5/26/15

As riots consume the streets of Boston, a dangerous game plays out between a British governor and ringleader Sam Adams, which escalates to extreme measures—street brawls, black market dealings, espionage and murder. A sizzling, romantic affair percolates against a backdrop of rising civil unrest, the infamous Boston Tea Party and Paul Revere’s legendary ride. From the Battle of Lexington, a clash between the dedicated colonists and the superior British Army ensues, and the colonies join forces as a single, united country in the most epic revolution of our time.

The action-packed, five-hour, scripted miniseries Sons of Liberty features an incredible ensemble cast, including Dean Norris, Ben Barnes, Ryan Eggold, Michael Raymond-James, Rafe Spall, Henry Thomas, Marton Csokas, Jason O’Mara and Emily Berrington, who come together to tell the dramatic interpretation of events that sparked a revolution. Extras include featurettes.

The Last Unicorn: The Enchanted Edition

Shout! Factory/ Released 6/9/15

Upon hearing that she may be the very last of her kind on Earth, a Unicorn (Mia Farrow) goes in search of others like her. Her quest won’t be easy, as it leads her straight to the evil King Haggard (Christopher Lee) and his infamous Red Bull! And the journey is made even more complicated when, to protect her from the envious wrath of Haggard, a spell is cast to turn the Unicorn into the Lady Amalthea, a beautiful, young human woman. But with this new body comes new thoughts and feelings, such as love for Haggard’s son, Prince Lir (Jeff Bridges). Will Amalthea get lost inside this new body? Will she meet the fate of the other Unicorns? Or will she be able to defeat Haggard and his Red Bull with the aid of her friends, Schmendrick the bumbling magician (Alan Arkin) and Molly Grue (Tammy Grimes)?

From Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass (The Hobbit), comes a magical adventure with an all-star cast, including Mia Farrow, Jeff Bridges, Christopher Lee, Alan Arkin, Tammy Grimes, Angela Lansbury, René Auberjonois and Robert Klein, and unforgettable songs from the rock band, America! The Last Unicorn is proudly presented with a stunning new transfer and new bonus materials!

Coffy

Olive Films/ Released 6/9/15

Pam Grier bares both breasts and bullets for a potent combination in Jack Hill’s blaxploitation classic. Grier plays Coffy, a nurse who never sees an operating theater, instead preferring the street theater of violent confrontation, becoming a one-woman army against the vapid drug dealers ruling the inner city. Coffy kicks into high gear after she finds her little sister in a coma from shooting smack. Pretending to be a dopehead, she lures the pusher to his doom, blowing his head off with a shotgun. When her cop ex-boyfriend tells her about the drug kingpin King George (Robert Duqui) and his involvement with the local mobster Arturo Vitroni (Alan Arbus), she smacks her lips and sets her sights on them too. But Coffy is rendered stupefied when she discovers that her phony liberal Congressman boyfriend Brunswick (Booker Bradshaw) is also involved with the drug dealers and mobsters. So, she revs her throttle and goes full tilt for him as well.

Foxy Brown

Olive Films / Released 6/9/15

Soul Cinema superstar Pam Grier leads an outta-sight, all-star cast, including Yaphet Kotto (Alien), Eartha Kitt (TV’s original Catwoman), Carl Weathers (Rocky), Scatman Crothers (The Shining), Ted Lange (“The Love Boat”), Jim Backus (“Gilligan’s Island”) and Godfrey Cambridge (Cotton Comes to Harlem) in this ultra-slick, pulse-pumping actioner that brings a foxy camerawoman into the focus of danger! When photographer Friday Foster (Grier) unwittingly uncovers a white supremecist plot to knock off all of the country’s top black leaders, she andher free-wheelin’, trouble-dealin’ P.I. friend, Hawkins (Kotto), go on a mission to stomp the killers’ plans! From the backstage murders at a righteous fashion show to a pedal-to-the-metal car chase from a funeral in a hearse(!) this shutterbuggin’ babe will go anywhere and do anything to expose the corruption only this time, the shooting isn’t just with a camera!

Friday Foster

Olive Films / Released 6/9/15

A woman looking for adventure finds romance, excitement and danger in her viewfinder in this action-packed comedy-drama. Friday Foster (Pam Grier) is a beautiful and ambitious young photographer who is working as an assistant at Glance Magazine, edited by the hard-boiled Monk Riley (Julius Harris). When Riley can’t get in touch with his first-call photographer, he calls Foster with a very important New Year’s Eve assignment — reclusive billionaire Blake Tarr (Thalmus Rasulala), often called “the black Howard Hughes,” is expected to be coming to Los Angeles, and Riley wants pictures of Tarr’s arrival. But Foster gets more than she bargained for when Tarr is ambushed by a gang of assassins disguised as security guards. The next day, Foster is helping to shoot a fashion show introducing new creations from flamboyant designer Madame Rena (Eartha Kitt) when Clorils Boston (Rosalind Miles), a model who has known Friday since childhood, is stabled to death. Colt Hawkins (Yaphet Kotto), a private detective who is on the scene, offers to help Friday track down Clorils’ killer after she notices that the same mysterious man (Carl Weathers) was present at both crimes. Foster and Hawkins discover the two killings are connected by a plot hatched by an underground group called “Black Widow” to kill off powerful and influential African-Americans. But who is behind the conspiracy, and can they be stopped in time? Also starring Godfrey Cambridge, Paul Benjamin, Scatman Crothers and Ted Lange, Friday Foster was based on the comic strip by Jim Lawrence and Jorge Longeron; running from 1970 to 1974, it was the first syndicated strip with an African-American woman as the leading character.

Hammer

Olive Films / Released 6/9/15

A man who fights his way to success learns the people who helped him may be his biggest enemies in this action drama. B.J. Hammer (Fred Williamson) is a dock worker who used to box in the Golden Gloves and still knows how to handle himself in a fight; when he gets into a brawl at work, he’s seen in action by an associate of Davis (Bernie Hamilton), a flashy businessman who manages boxers. Davis thinks Hammer has potential, and offers him a contract. Soon Hammer is training with Professor (Mel Stewart, an experienced boxing coach, and begins romancing Lois (Vonetta McGee), one of Davis’ secretaries.

After easily winning several fights, Hammer’s career is on the rise and he seems poised to become a championship contender. But Davis isn’t just interested in boxing; he’s an underworld kingpin who also traffics in drugs and prostitutes, and often uses washed-up fighters as pawns in his criminal games. Hammer soon learns just how Davis operates when his manager orders him to take a dive in an upcoming fight, and when Hammer refuses, both he and Lois could face deadly retribution. Also starring William Smith and D’Urville Martin, Hammer was a major box-office success that established Fred Williamson as one of the major stars of the 1970s blaxploitation boom; the film also included an original score from soul music legend Solomon Burke.

She-Devil 

Olive Films / Released 6/9/15

Before she wore Prada or went into the woods, Meryl Streep inhabited the role of romance novelist and chief antagonist Mary Fisher in director Susan Seidelman’s dark comedy, She-Devil, based on the best-selling novel by Fay Weldon. She-Devil tells the story of Ruth Patchett (Roseanne Barr making her film debut), the much put upon wife of accountant Bob Patchett (Ed Begley, Jr.), mother to Nicolette (Elisebeth Peters) and Andy (Bryan Larkin), and the proverbial doormat to a host of family members and friends. Her breaking point is the discovery that Bob has been having an affair with romance novelist Mary Fisher (Academy Award-winner Meryl Streep). Berating Ruth and referring to her as a “she-devil,” Bob storms off to be with Mary while Ruth is left to pick up the pieces. But Ruth has an epiphany: she’ll exact her revenge by taking away Bob’s most prized assets – home, family, career, freedom. Bob, ever hear the expression “Hell hath no fury …?” Now Bob will really see a She-Devil in action. Directed by Susan Seidelman (Desperately Seeking Susan, Making Mr, Right) She-Devil co-stars Linda Hunt, Sylvia Miles, A. Martinez, Mary Louise Wilson and Robin Leach.

Project Almanac

Parmount / Released 6/9/15

From producer Michael Bay (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Transformers) comes the action-packed thrill ride starring Jonny Weston (Divergent Series: Insurgent). When a brilliant high school student and his friends discover blueprints for a machine that can send them back in time, the possibilities seem endless. They rewrite history to win the lottery, ace exams, and party like there’s no tomorrow. But by changing the past, they have threatened the future of our world. Can they undo the damage they have unleashed before it’s too late? Extras include alternate opening, alternate endings and deleted scenes.

When Calls The Heart: Trials Of The Heart

Shout! Factory/ Released 5/26/15

Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) is an independent, strong-willed teacher who has foregone the life of the big city and found a job, a home – and romance with a handsome Mountie named Jack – in the small frontier town of Coal Valley. But when she learns that her mother has taken ill, she returns to Hamilton, her hometown, with Jack as her escort. Once in the comparably opulent Hamilton, Elizabeth and Jack are confounded by Jack’s ne’er-do-well brother and Elizabeth’s former suitor, Charles Kensington. But it is Elizabeth’s father, William, who drives a wedge between them when he suggests to Jack that Charles would be a better match for his well-bred daughter.  Also starring Daniel Lissing and Lori Loughlin, this epic rigorous and romantic adventure comes from celebrated author Janette Oke (The Love Comes Softly series).

Zombies From Outer Space

Olive Films / Released 5/26/15

Rural Bavaria. The late 1950’s. Something very strange is taking place. When Maria (Judith Gorgrass) happens upon the dead body of a woman little does she realize the terror that will be unleashed in Zombies From Outer Space. Noted scientist Dr. Robert Hoelzlein (Florian Kiml) and American Army Captain John Welles (Siegfried Foster), both brought into investigate the crime, soon butt heads over the case and their mutual attraction to Maria. Romance takes a back seat when more bodies are discovered. Who or what has caused these mysterious deaths? Extras include teaser and trailers.

1776

Sony/ Released 6/2/15

Based on the international stage triumph that won the Tony Award and The New York Drama Critics Circle Award as “Best Musical of the Year,” 1776 is a musical celebration of the founding of the United States of America based on the award-winning Broadway production. The story centers around the familiar historical characters as they organize a movement for independence from Mother England: the tough unyielding John Adams (William Daniels); the charming and pragmatic Benjamin Franklin (Howard Da Silva); the brilliant young Thomas Jefferson (Ken Howard), who is chosen to write the Declaration of Independence even as he longs for the company of his new bride Martha (Blythe Danner); and the rest of the Continental Congress. All events lead up to that most significant date July 4, 1776 when the Declaration was signed. Now fully restored for its high definition debut on Blu-ray, 1776 looks and sounds better than ever.

The film was nominated for both an Academy Award (Best Cinematography, Harry Stradling Jr., 1972) and a Golden Globe (Best Motion Picture-Musical/Comedy, 1972). Brought to the screen by legendary producer Jack L. Warner, 1776 was shot with most of the original Broadway cast, and features William Daniels as John Adams, Howard Da Silva as Benjamin Franklin, Ken Howard as Thomas Jefferson and Blythe Danner as Martha Jefferson. “The movie is not a ‘whodunit’—we all know who signed the Declaration of Independence—it’s a ‘howdunit,'” Hunt said. “It creates dramatic tension from a story where everyone knows the ending.”

The new Director’s Cut restores the film to its original visual brilliance and features newly discovered material. In addition to the Director’s Cut, the Blu-ray also presents an Extended Cut of the film via seamless branching, along with a newly restored and remixed 5.1 soundtrack. “We worked tirelessly to return this film to as pristine a condition as possible and are excited to bring the newly restored version of 1776 to audiences worldwide,” Crisp said of the restoration, which will have its world premiere screening March 28 at the TCM Classic Film Festival.

The restored Director’s Cut is based, in part, on an earlier restoration carried out for a 2002 DVD release. That version, also prepared with Hunt’s oversight, added a number of scenes and lost elements that were missing from the original theatrical release. Among them was a musical number that had been dropped from the film by Warner at the request of President Richard Nixon (who felt the scene cast conservatives in an unfavorable light). Further detective work for the new version uncovered additional “lost” material, including dialogue that had been changed over ratings concerns. “There were a few lines that Jack Warner wanted changed… but the changes weren’t funny,” Hunt said. “The original lines from Broadway were funny, and now, for the first time, they are in the movie.”

State-of-the-art 4K digital technology made it possible to address problems and restore color fidelity to a level not possible at the time of the earlier restoration, which was done through photochemical processes. Variations in color, due to different levels of degradation in negative elements, have been eliminated as much as possible, resulting in a seamless look. “When a scene comes up that had been cut out or compromised in some way, it looks like it is supposed to be there because we could maintain consistency with the image and keep its natural filmic quality,” Crisp explained.

Colorworks Colorist Sheri Eisenberg said that much time was spent studying existing film prints and other reference material in order to ensure the restoration accurately represented the movie in its original form. “We did a lot of eyeballing,” Eisenberg said. “We kept asking ourselves, ‘Does it feel right?’ ‘What can we do to make it better?’ We wanted to keep the theatrical feeling of the original.” Hunt said that, in some ways, the results go beyond the original. “I’m ecstatic,” he said. “1776 is back to where it should be. The work done by Grover and his team is miraculous. It looks better than when it premiered. It’s gorgeous!”  Extras include commentary, extended cut, deleted and alternate scenes, screen tests, teaser and trailer.

River of Death 

Kino Lorber/ Released 5/26/15

In the nightmarish last days of the Third Reich, a psychotic Nazi scientist (Robert Vaughn) escapes to the impenetrable jungles of the Amazon. Years later, a mysterious incurable disease breaks out among the natives and adventurer John Hamilton (Michael Dudikoff) is hired to lead investigators on a search for the cause. Braving bloodthirsty rives pirates, hostile native tribes and headhunting cannibals, Hamilton, guides a group of explorers up the deadly Rio del Morte to the fabulous lost Inca city. Action specialist Steve Carver (Lone Wolf McQuade) directs this top-notch action-adventure based on an Alistair MacLean novel. The stellar cast includes Donald Pleasence, Herbert Lom and L.Q. Jones. Extras include commentary and trailer.

Tom and Jerry Gene Deitch Collection

Warner Bros. / Released 6/2/15

Celebrate the most enduring team in animation history with a collection fans will want to chase and catch! This highly anticipated release includes all 13 of the Gene Deitch produced shorts that fans and collectors will surely want to own.  Extras include Tom and Jerry…and Gene: The Rembrant Years featurette and bonus shorts: Barbecue Brawl, Happy Go Ducky, The Vanishing Duck, Much Ado About Tom and Jerry.

The Gene Deitch Collection includes:

The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit:  
The Tom and Jerry Cartoon Kit is rather simple- just the cat and mouse and an assortment of deadly weapons. The cartoon opens with an animator’s kit complete with Tom in a box with Jerry, assorted props, and even coffee and cigarettes (“for the animators,” as the narrator states). Then, without scenery and some gags popping in and out, the forever-battling duo go through a couple of combat examples. As the narrator tells of further cartoon possibilities, Jerry puts the lid on the kit, trapping Tom inside.

Switchin’ Kitten
In an eerie castle, Jerry is a mad scientist’s assistant and Tom is his unwilling subject. When a stray cat is changed into a dog and the dog into a cat, it’s only the beginning of role reversal problems for all.

High Steaks
Backyard barbecue fun as Tom and his master grill steaks near the pool. But when Jerry arrives, it’s a free-for-all as he scorches Tom’s tail, engages him in a fencing match with forks, and sends the master into a rage over a bottle of Kooky Kola.

Mouse into Space
Reading that there are no cats in outer space, Jerry enlists in the Astro-Mouse Program to elude Tom, but finds the cat stowed away aboard his space capsule anyhow. Summarily ejected, Tom streaks across the stars, encountering a Soviet cosmonaut pooch and a cache of meteorites before falling to earth.

Landing Stripling
Tom, trying to lure a flying bird, makes a landing strip from Christmas lights to signal in his prey. But an airliner swoops down instead, carrying Tom into the sky.

Down and Outing
A day of fishing turns out to be more than Tom, Jerry or their master had angled for. Before they’ve even arrived, a battle takes place in the car for who will complete the trip- and all that gets left on the road are burnt rubber and the master’s nerves. Once on board the boat (the “Sea Note”), Tom tosses Jerry in the water, and the mouse retaliates by tying Tom’s hook to the master’s foot.

It’s Greek to Me-ow!
Toga-clad Tom and Jerry are at it again in ancient Athens. Tom, hot on Jerry’s trail, tries to gain entrance to a “no cats allowed” club. Thrown out by a guard, he disguises himself with a statue’s head and sneaks back in. But when he ends up in a runaway chariot, it spells the ancient Greek end of Tom.

Dicky Moe
In a twist on the classic “Moby Dick,” Tom is press-ganged aboard the ship of a mad, one-legged sea captain obsessed with the whale Dicky Moe. Made to scrub the decks aboard the “Kumquat,” Tom gets unhelpful assistance from Jerry, who substitutes tar for water. When Dicky Moe is sighted, the captain fires a cannon at him, and the whale takes off, with Tom roped to his side.

Calypso Cat
Tom falls for a white Persian kitten whom he and Jerry join for a cruise aboard a luxury liner, the “Caribbean Queen.” But Tom’s ideas of island romance are ruined when the Persian kitten scornfully leaves him for a feline calypso musician.

Tall in the Trap
When Jerry rustles cheese from the Dry Gulch General Store, Sheriff Mutt Dillin hires Tom, the fastest trap in the West (his business card reads “Have Trap, Will Travel”). However, Jerry tricks Tom into blowing up the sheriff’s office. The lawman chases Tom out of town, and Jerry takes off with more cheese. Several saloons have clever names.

Sorry Safari
On safari in darkest Africa (via the Nairobi airport), Tom and Jerry join their master on a “Nertz” rent-an-elephant. Tom hides in one of the baskets to go on the safari. All goes well until Tom discovers Jerry hiding in another basket. When the hunter discovers that he has stowaways, he tries to get rid of them both. The master finds once again that travels with Tom and Jerry can be difficult (when he is charged by a lion, he finds that Tom has replaced his gun with a thermos bottle). At tale’s end, the elephant and Jerry are carrying the spoils of the hunt- Tom, the master and a rhino- tied to a pole.

Buddies Thicker Than Water
Jerry, sleeping in a Tiffany’s box in a penthouse, takes freezing, starving Tom into his home. But when the mistress of the house tries to evict the cat, he scares her with Jerry and perfidiously tosses him out into the snow. Pampered by the grateful woman, Tom is haunted by “ghost” Jerry and flees outside to freeze again.

Carmen Get It!
Jerry runs into the Metropolitan Opera, trying to evade Tom. The cat disguises himself as a violinist, with a tape recorder (playing the music of “Carmen”) hidden in his fiddle. But Jerry plays it in reverse, and the conductor breaks the offending instrument over Tom’s head. When Tom conducts the orchestra, Jerry sends a score of ants scurrying onto his music sheets, and poor Tom has a hard time differentiating the bugs from the notes.

The Saint: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory/ Released 5/26/15

When sinners strike, call on The Saint! Modern-day Robin Hood. Wealthy man of mystery. Debonair rogue. Call Simon Templar what you will, but never cross The Saint. A timeless figure of adventure since his creation by Leslie Charteris in 1928, The Saint has thrilled adventure aficionados with his exploits in a variety of media, including novels, movies, and radio—but nowhere was the dashing Mr. Templar more indelibly realized than in his 1960s television series, presented here in one outstanding collection: The Saint – The Complete Series.

Starring the perfectly-cast Roger Moore as Simon Templar, The Saint was a benchmark in the lifespan of the character, and a stepping stone to Moore taking on the role of an even more well-known man of action later in his career. Featuring thrilling acts of derring-do, beautiful places (and people), and a sly wit, this complete set of all 118 episodes (71 black and white and 47 color episodes) from The Saint are a heavenly addition to your collection.

With guest star appearances by Oliver Reed (Tommy, Gladiator), Academy Award-winning actress Julie Christie (Darling, Doctor Zhivago), Donald Sutherland (The Dirty Dozen), Edward Woodward (TV’s “The Equalizer”), David Prowse (A Clockwork Orange, Darth Vader in the Star Wars Trilogy), a bevy of Bondian beauties (Goldfinger‘s Honor Blackman and Shirley Eaton, as well as Lois “Miss Moneypenny” Maxwell), and many more.   Extras include commentary tracks and behind the scenes with Sir Roger Moore as a director.

Hello Ladies: The Complete Series and The Movie

HBO Home Video/ Released 5/26/15

A recent transplant from England, Stuart (Golden Globe winner Stephen Merchant)is a gawky, 6′ 7″ web designer searching for excitement and romance in Los Angeles. Half as charming as he thinks he is – and twice as desperate – Stuart is obsessed with infiltrating the glamorous world of beautiful people. Seduced by the promise of the best restaurants and hottest nightclubs. Stuart’s cheapness and pettiness often finds him just outside the door of LA’s most desirable locales. Stuart doggedly hits the LA social scene in search of beautiful women, often in the company of pals Wade (Nate Torrence), who’s in the throes of a divorce, and Kives (Kevin Wevin Weisman), a charismatic paraplegic who fares far better with the ladies than either Stuart or Wade. From executive producers Stephen Marchant, Gene Stupnitsky and Lee Eisenberg. Extras include featurettes and deleted scenes.

Includes:

• Pilot: Stuart’s plans to pick up his roommate Jessica’s friend go awry when he finds himself out in the LA nightlife with his two friends: glum Wade, in the middle of separating from his wife, and dirty-minded, wheelchair-bound ladies’ man Kives.

• The Limo: When Wade’s ex-wife rejects his plan to take her out in a limo, Stuart, hoping to impress ladies, hits the town in the luxury car with Wade and Kives.

• The Date: After Jessica points out that a woman at the gym’s drink counter is flirting with him, Stuart asks her out but starts getting paranoid about her texts.

• The Dinner: Stuart goes to a gay bar to hit on women after Jessica tells him that straight women hang out there because they’re less likely to be hit on.

• Pool Party: Stuart throws a pool party in the hopes of it becoming a playboy-esque bash. Meanwhile, Jessica takes in a 19-year-old homeless girl.

• Long Beach: Stuart tries to befriend the tough construction workers doing repairs at his house, Wade makes a romantic gesture to win back his wife, and Jessica tells Glenn she wants a real relationship–all with disastrous results.

• The Wedding: Stuart and Jessica’s time at a wedding begins without much promise, but soon finds great professional news for her and a promising interaction with a lovely model for him.

• The Drive: Wade faces a hard truth about his failing marriage. Jessica’s glee over her breakthrough casting turns to sadness when she gets bad news. Stuart’s quest to see Kimberley, a model, takes several surprising turns.

• Hello Ladies: The Movie: After his ex-girlfriend calls to tell Stuart that she and her husband will be visiting LA, Stuart, desperate to show he’s “won at life,” enlists Jessica to pose as his girlfriend. 

Chappie

Sony / Released 6/16/15

In the near future, crime is monitored by an oppressive mechanized police force. But now, the people are fighting back. When one police droid, Chappie, is stolen and given new programming, he becomes the first robot with the ability to think and feel for himself. As powerful and destructive forces start to see Chappie as a danger to mankind and order, they will stop at nothing to maintain the status quo and ensure that Chappie is the last of his kind.  Extras include gallery, alternate ending, extended scene and featurettes.

Last Word:  The city of Johannesburg has a cancer of crime, and the seemingly effective medicine has been the automated police scouts engineered by Tetra Vaal Robotics. But all is not what it seems when one droid gets an artificial intelligence upgrade, and is subsequently taken in by the wrong side of the law. Director Neill Blomkamp once again teams up Sharlto Copley and South Africa’s most popular metropolis. This time, the exhibition is a sci-fi adventure whose concept has certainly been done many times before, but with a story that has its chance after a worthy build-up, now a common expectation in Blomkamp’s work. He revisits a few of his previous short subjects, most notably the films Yellow and 2004’s Tetra Vaal, which lends its name to the aforementioned tech company that designs the robot cops.

A warning, these next few paragraphs may give much of the plot away, but since it is so familiar, this kind of story has become almost like watching Shakespeare. Casting and editing choices seem to have involved more heart than head, a compassionate flaw in much of Blomkamp’s work. Dev Patel plays Deon Wilson, the head engineer of the Scout robots, Tetra Vaal’s most successful product. Though primarily responsible for the company’s success, he only has a desk, laptop, and an apartment in a decent part of town (where he lives only with small interactive robot companions) to show for it. His boss, the poorly miscast Sigourney Weaver, gets a corner office behind glass from which she simply signs papers, barks orders, and plays no role (on screen at least) in the research and development of this revolutionary task force. Rounding out the major players is Hugh Jackman, the much needed shot in the arm for the group and film, as Wilson’s rival engineer Vincent Moore, whose Moose robot would make Phil Tippett proud.

On the other side of town are the criminal minds led by South African rave-rap group Die Antwoord, using their own stage names Yolandi and Ninja, and their accomplice, a ne’er-do-well by the name of Amerika (Jose Pablo Cantillo – “Hey! That’s Martinez from The Walking Dead!”). The home is a broken tenement in a rundown slum reminiscent of the Detroit ghetto. While lending his expertise to the development of the robotic police, Deon channels his inner Fisher Stevens to bring about a program for technological consciousness. When he pitches the idea to his boss, she tosses it aside without even the courtesy of a formal proposal. Her words, “You just came to the CEO of a weapons manufacturer with a program for robots to write poetry.” Some thanks!

After 945 days perfecting the program at home, Deon finally has enough to move ahead and takes out a scout set for demolition to test it out. Unbeknownst to him, he’s been targeted by Ninja’s gang to reprogram the droid so that it can help them get their money to pay a crime lord. Deon is also under suspicion of Moore, jealous of the young engineer’s success, channeling his own inner Ronny Cox.

After Deon reconstructs the droid and uploads the learning software, the newborn scout brings out a maternal instinct in Yolandi, happily tagging him a “happy chappie.” Ninja is not so satisfied, and demands CHAPPiE learn what he needs in order to pull off the heist. Before leaving them, Deon identifies himself as CHAPPiE’s creator, laying down the two major rules of the ancient Ten Commandments for the boy: no stealing or killing. As CHAPPiE grows over the course of the next few days leading to the heist, he sees much of the varied behaviors of human beings. Much of his exposure is to the cruel, but not so unusual. His childlike mind is unable to comprehend the extreme violence forced upon him, but his surrogate mother is a genuine comfort who reads to him and explains as best she can. Yolandi’s character shifts unbelievably from villain to likeable antihero as real feelings develop between the two. CHAPPiE’s attachments and intelligence grow at exponential rates, sparking interests in research and development, which must be juggled mentally with the choices set before that conflict with his creator’s rules. As tension continues to build, dangers become more and more apparent as chaos takes over the already corrupt Jo’Burg. It’s a race against time as CHAPPiE’s decisions will now shape not only the being he is becoming, but also the future he will affect.

This is a super violent R-rated feature film (with a very gory climax) that would have found much more success as a Saturday morning cartoon serial (if those even still exist). By the time CHAPPiE has gained self-awareness, it’s a wonder his nose didn’t grow when he would tell a lie in the process. But for the presence of drugs, weapons, and a plethora of bad words, this would be perfect fanfare for kids. Potential toy marketing would also make for much better product placement than just SONY’s signature computer and gaming systems.

Another complaint: too many miscast actors, and too many liberties given that lead to poor acting throughout the film (less Jackman, who always shines). According to IMDb, a “breakdown of the relationship between Blomkamp and Ninja” may have been a contributing factor to this loss on screen. Copley did perform all of his parts on set before being optically composited (quite well) as the title robot, a nod to his previous work with Blomkamp in District 9 (still the reigning magnum opus on the repertoire of both).

On the other hand, Blomkamp’s previous feature films have followed this same build from boring and formulaic to engaging and entertaining. The flaws can easily be forgiven when the viewer is allowed to be immersed in the story, which borrows from many previous works, but is ultimately redeemed by the heart brought to it by compassion for the title character.

Much of the soundtrack is complemented nicely between music by Die Antwoord and a score by the always tremendous Hans Zimmer. Blomkamp and wife Terri Tatchell partnered once again on the script, which is terrific but for the minor kinks in certain character designs and development, as well as credibility of sets (seriously, the lead engineer only has a desk in the bullpen??). Last but not least, the visual effects collaboration between Image Engine and Weta Workshop continue to make leaps and bounds with the motion capture for CHAPPiE and Moose, along with the pyrotechnics and animation that bring a sense of real film magic, though it might take a trained eye to see at times (here’s a hint, consider shadowing and reflections of CHAPPiE – that was not all done with green screens). While not a complete washout, this is mainly a film for those who are able to appreciate films like the “Bayformers” for what they were and not get lost in the areas where Blomkamp seems to be more about his vision than the bigger objective picture. Certainly this is not a hit, but it’s very far from a complete miss. ( – Herbert Shaw)