Here we are, getting close to the end of 2014. Here we take a look at some recent releases. You can check out other selections in our Holiday Gift Guide next week.
Fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart. It’s that time of the week.
Guardians of the Galaxy
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| Marvel Studios / Released 12/9/14 |
An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits—Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon, Groot, a tree-like humanoid, the deadly and enigmatic Gamora and the revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last desperate stand—with the galaxy’s fate in the balance. Extras include commentary, featurettes, deleted/extended scenes, gag reel and look at Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.
Last Word: Marvel Studios, James Gunn and Kevin Feige have done it. They’ve taken sci-fi to a new level, brought humor to the game and among the accomplishments too many to list have made unknown characters to the spotlight with great actors to get Marvel Cosmic into movie theaters across the globe. The ensemble cast, one who is a raccoon, another a tree, spark on the screen and the space battle action triples from the previous epic-scale Marvel movie, The Avengers.
Chris Pratt stars as Peter Quill aka Star-Lord opposite Zoe Saldana’s Gamora and the two lead the ‘unlikely team’ from a bunch of losers to the Guardians of the Galaxy (Dave Bautista as Drax, Vin Diesel as Groot, and Bradley Cooper at Rocket) alongside stars Karen Gillan, John C. Reilly, Benicio Del Toro and Glenn Close.
This is a movie unlike any I’ve seen before. When Star-Lord first lands on a desolate planet Morag with his scanner, I thought of Riddick —here we go, doom and gloom and violence. When Peter hits play on his Sony Walkman for Awesome Mix Vol. #1 the tone shifts immediately as he dances his way toward a cave containing his sought after Orb. Lee Pace stars as the Lee/Kirby classic villain Ronan The Accuser who is also seeking the Orb. The blue merciless killer is adorned with a samurai outfit and face paint of a warrior as he talks to — spoiler warning — Thanos played by Josh Brolin!
When growing up, reading The Infinity Gauntlet, X-Men and Avengers, I never would have imagined to see the big bad blue Titan on screen. Marvel has expanded beyond Earth to the stars and created the worlds of Xandarians, huge Kree ships and a prison called Kyln. We are truly lucky to be in a time when scale is not an issue with special effects, and in the many space battles, the payoff is gigantic. Basing these movies on established Marvel properties and even obscure characters like Benicio Del Toro’s The Collector tickles all of the comic book fan’s need for continuity and world building, established way back in the days when Iron Man first premiered in 2008. The through line from Iron Man to The Avengers and Thor: The Dark World to Guardians is there but somehow this movie is able to stand alone.
Perhaps this is one of the movie’s biggest strengths. Tropes abound, like Rocket’s plan to escape from Kyln succeeding at the last minute. A Star Trek “on screen” standoff between two armed ships happens, if just for a second. Star Wars is aped, appropriately, on some of the dogfight scenes as well as Quill’s ‘filthy’ space ship. Sprinkle a little Disney/Pixar on all things Groot and on Xandar with The Nova Corps and you’ve got quite a recipe. Hands down, what is my favorite part of the movie, and sure to be yours? Guardians is hilarious. From ‘under the breath’ comments to team members, Groot acting in the background, and even his eponymous running gag, “I Am Groot” makes for a raucous movie. Pratt and Saldana’s uncomfortable flirting and Pratt’s bravado/bragging makes him equal parts Han and Luke with the sexual tension. Rocket ends up being the Andrew Dice Clay of the group, crassly making up for his short stature with bad words and seemingly cold heart. Of course it’s all a ruse, he loves Groot and the team mates (eventually).
Who’s the funniest? In my estimation, on first viewing, surprise funny man Drax the Destroyer has the best lines, and completely unexpected! He (and Gamora) doesn’t ‘get’ jokes and takes everything literally. This brand of straight man strongman stuff is amazing “Nothing goes over my head, my reflexes are too fast”. There is a transformation and arc for all of the Guardians, from sketchy bad guys and assassins to becoming heroic, though at times you can see them fall back on their old ways. Compared with The Avengers vs. a solo Marvel Studios movie, the ensemble makes for an encompassing story that literally goes from one quadrant to another of the galaxy. Again, scale is important. We have a raccoon with a bad mouth and bug gun flying into Celestial heads at Knowhere. This movie is Marvel, Disney, Star Wars, Star Trek, The Office, Judge Dredd all at once, with a nostalgic throwback to The Last Starfighter and Battle Beyond The Stars thrown in for that 80’s feel.
I usually rank and file Marvel movies, but predictably for some, the latest always equals the greatest. Almost time to start a new list — with new criteria! Guess what spot this one takes? Yup. You can depend on me for pushing this to the top spot. This movie is unlike anything I’ve ever seen but familiar enough to make it resonate deeply. Guardians of the Galaxy is a truly special sci-fi movie, with superheroes, aliens, Gods, stars, space ships, pods and jokes. I’m waiting for someone more clever than myself to come up with a new category for this Marvel Cosmic movie, but until then please check out these bunch of a-holes. (– Clay N Ferno)
What If
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| Sony / Released 11/25/14 |
What If is the story of medical school dropout Wallace (Daniel Radcliffe), who’s been repeatedly burned by bad relationships. So while everyone around him, including his roommate Allan (Adam Driver) seems to be finding the perfect partner (Mackenzie Davis), Wallace decides to put his love life on hold. It is then that he meets Chantry (Zoe Kazan) an animator who lives with her longtime boyfriend Ben (Rafe Spall). Wallace and Chantry form an instant connection, striking up a close friendship. Still, there is no denying the chemistry between them, leading the pair to wonder, what if the love of your life is actually your best friend? Extras include featurettes and deleted scenes.
Last Word: I really enjoyed What If. No, it wasn’t the best romantic comedy ever but there is something very sweet and genuine about it. Even with the much used premise of “what happens if friends fall in love, while one has a significant other?”, What If, manages to stay fresh, through well developed characters and clever take on an old standard. Originally titled The “F”-Word, writer, Elan Mastai and director Michael Dowse have concocted a very nice story, based on the play Toothpaste and Cigars by T.J. Dawe and Michael Rinaldi.
Starring Daniel Radcliffe and Zoe Kazan, What If starts out very formulaic in the beginning, but slowly begins to unravel the normal romantic comedy structure showing how these two random people Wallace (Radcliffe) and Chantry (Kazan) become friends and grow very close. The “Will they/Won’t they” of their relationship is pretty well developed and leaves you throughout the film wondering if they will or not. For me the charm of the film is in Wallace’s best friend/room mate, Allan, played by Adam Driver. He is hilarious and a great counterpoint to Radcliffe’s sullen and mopey, recently heartbroken character.
In the end, What If, winds up being a heartfelt story of romance and the confusion involved when the last thing you ever want is to hurt the one you love when you fall in love with the one person you never thought you would ever fall in love with. (– Benn Robbins)
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| Kino / Released 11/11/14 |
Burt Reynolds is Gator McKlusky, a moonshine runner who wages war against corrupt police officials in this two-fisted, four-wheeling action extravaganza. With adrenaline-pumping car chases, bone-crunching brawls and terrific acting by an all-star cast, including Diane Ladd and Laura Dern, White Lightning will give you the jolt of your life!
Gator is serving time in the Arkansas prison when he learns that his brother has been murdered by ruthless Sheriff J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty). Swearing vengeance, Gator agrees to go undercover to expose Connors, going to any lengths to get the goods on the sheriff and make him pay for the crime… with his life. Extras include Burt Reynolds interview and trailer.
Gator
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| Kino / Released 11/11/14 |
Burt Reynolds returns as Gator McKlusky, the moonshine-running king of the Bayou, in this high-octane sequel to White Lightning. Filled with super-charged adventure and double-barreled action – and co-starring Lauren Hutton as a sexy TV reporter – Gator is a fast and furious ride you won’t want to miss!
The Feds want Gator. Not for moonshining, but to go undercover to expose Bama McCall (Jerry Reed), Gator’s boyhood pal who is now a local crime boss. Gator is reluctant at first, but once he discovers Bama is involved in extortion, prostitution… and murder, the suspense builds to an explosive climax, as old friends become deadly enemies. Extras include Burt Reynolds interview and trailer.
Last Word: Although both films are prime examples of redneck cinema of the Seventies, White Lightning is the good one and Gator is it’s less impressive sequel. It’s got cars, bootlegging, fisticuffs, car chases and plenty of Reynolds’ laughing at the circumstances. Both films feature many of Reynolds’ friends and frequent collaborators including Ned Beatty, Jerry Reed, Diane Ladd, Alice Ghostley, Jack Weston, Mike Douglas, Dub Taylor, Lauren Hutton, Burton Gilliam, R. G. Armstrong, Bo Hopkins, and Matt Clark. A fairly entertaining double feature and a nostalgic reminder of a cinematic era long gone.
Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
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| Kino / Released 11/18/14 |
Francis recalls in his memory the horrible experiences he and his fiancée Jane recently went through. Francis and his friend Alan visit The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an exhibit where the mysterious doctor shows the somnambulist Cesare, and awakens him for some moments from his death-like sleep. When Alan asks Cesare about his future, Cesare answers that he will die before dawn. The next morning Alan is found dead. Francis suspects Cesare of being the murderer, and starts spying on him and Dr. Caligari. The following night Cesare is going to stab Jane in her bed, but softens when he sees the beautiful woman, and instead of committing another murder, he abducts her. Francis pursues the fleeing Dr. Caligari, and sees him disappear into a madhouse, where he is sure he will find the truth behind all these mysterious events…
This classic piece of German expressionist cinema employs stylized sets, costumes and make-up to tell its story from a shifting point of view. The legendary silent film was recently restored in 4K by Murnau-Stiftung in collaboration with the Bundesarchiv-Filmarchiv and L’Immagine Ritrovata – Film Restoration and Conservation. Earlier this year, the new restoration had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival. Extras include Illustrated Booklet Essay, Documentary, New Music Score, Image Gallery and Restoration Demonstration.
Last Word: A stunning restoration brings one of the finest examples of silent horror to future generations in this must own Blu-ray release. Highest recommendation.
Automata
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| Millennium / Released 11/18/14 |
Fast forward fifty years into the future, planet earth is in the midst of gradual desertification. Mankind struggles to survive as the environment deteriorates and the slow regression of the human race begins in Automata. On the brink of life and the reality of death, technology combats the prevailing uncertainty and fear with the creation of the first quantum android, the Automata Pilgrim 7000. Designed to bring support to society’s plight, man and robot reveal what it means to co-exist in a culture defined by human nature. Extras include featurette and trailer.
Billy Joel The Last Play at Shea
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| Virgil Films / Released 11/18/14 |
Two New York icons meet for one final time in The Last Play at Shea, which chronicles the intersecting histories of Queens’ landmark Shea Stadium and the legendary performer Billy Joel. The film focuses on the Piano Man’s two memorable concerts on July 16 and 18, 2008 – the final shows at the longtime home of the New York Mets. An engaging look at both the highs and lows of the Mets and the music career of Joel, The Last Play at Shea interweaves interviews with players and performers with footage from the goodbye concerts, in which Joel played many of his classic hits. Serving as a tribute to what the Mets, Shea and Long Island native Joel have meant to the city, the film is above all a musical celebration that includes Sting, John Mayer, Roger Daltrey, Garth Brooks, Don Henley, Tony Bennett and others – who all share their stories of these electric summer nights. The film, narrated by New Yorker Alec Baldwin, also includes the surprise appearance and performance by Paul McCartney – who with the Beatles gave the historic first rock concert at Shea more than 40 years earlier. The concert includes the songs Prelude/Angry Young Man, My Life, Summer,Highland Falls, Everybody Loves You Now, Zanzibar, New York State of Mind, Allentown, The Ballad of Billy the Kid, She’s Always a Woman, Goodnight Saigon, Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway), Shameless, This Is the Time, Keeping the Faith, Captain Jack, Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel), The River of Dreams/A Hard Day’s Night, We Didn’t Start the Fire, You May Be Right, Scenes from an Italian Restaurant, Only the Good Die Young, I Saw Her Standing There, Take Me Out to the Ballgame, Piano Man and Let It Be.
Monkey Shines
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| Shout! Factory / Released 11/18/14 |
Allan Mann (Jason Beghe) is a bitter, angry and vengeful man ever since an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He’s fed up with himself and everyone around him. All that changes when he’s given Ella, a monkey trained to meet his every need. But when Ella begins anticipating Allan’s thoughts, strange and deadly things start happening. And as she stalks and wreaks havoc on Allan’s fair-weather girlfriend (Janine Turner), incompetent doctor and meddling mother, Allan realizes he must stop the cunning maniacal creature…before she fully takes over his mind! Extras include commentary, making of, alternate ending, deleted scenes, behind the scenes footage, vintage featurettes, trailers, and still gallery.
The Dark Half
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| Shout! Factory / Released 11/18/14 |
Horror writer Thad Beaumont (Timothy Hutton) hopes to distance himself from his murder novels and from George Stark, the name he has used to anonymously author them. To achieve this, he cooks up a murder of his own: a publicity stunt that should lay Stark to rest forever. But when the people around him are found gruesomely slain – and his own fingerprints dot the crime scenes – Beaumont is dumbfounded until he learns that Stark has taken on life of his own…and begun a gruesome quest for vengeance! Extras include commentary, making of, deleted scenes, animated storyboards for alternate ending, vintage featurettes, behind the scenes footage, trailers and still gallery.
The Bubble 3-D
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| Kino / Released 11/18/14 |
Originally released in 1966, The Bubble was a milestone in the history of 3-D filmmaking, being the first production shot in the Space-Vision 3-D system, an innovative new process that revolutionized the way 3-D movies would be made for the next 30 years.
Now, this landmark film is back for new viewers to see in its original, groundbreaking Space-Vision 3-D on Blu-ray, restored from the original 35mm negatives by the 3-D Film Archive.
The Bubble is the science-fiction spine-tingler that sicked audiences and revolutionized the cinematic world of 3-D! The eye-popping thrills and chills begin when a plane carrying pregnant Catherine (Deborah Walley) and her husband Mark (Michael Cole) is forced to land in a mysterious remote town. The townspeople are quite strange, indeed: they repeat certain phrases and movements ceaselessly and stagger through the streets like brain-dead automatons. Then there is an even more terrifying discovery — the zombie inhabitants live under an impenetrable dome, trapped like insects in a jar. Can Catherine, Mark and their newborn baby escape or will they become mindless drones trapped in a human zoo? Extras include regular 2-D on regular setups, essay, screenplay excerpts of deleted scenes, trailers, stills gallery, alternate open (3-D and 2-D) and restoration demonstration (3-D and 2-D).
Better Off Ted Season 2
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| Olive Films / Released 11/25/14 |
A whip-smart workplace comedy set at a high-tech conglomerate, Jay Harrington stars as Ted Crisp, head of research and development, who navigates the viewer through the professional pitfalls and personnel politics of life within the large, soul-less Veridian Dynamics.
Season 2 of the office comedy finds Ted (Jay Harrington), Veronica ( Portia de Rossi) and Linda (Andrea Anders) weathering an array of situations and crises. Chief among them: Ted’s daughter Rose (Isabella Acres) may have inside information about impending layoffs due to a daycare playmate; sexual-harassment charges are levied against Ted…and Linda; Veridian plays matchmaker for its employees; and Veronica uses an employee’s death as motivation for the team to finish a project. Guest stars include Khandi Alexander, who appears as the brilliant scientist-mother of Lem (Malcolm Barrett); and Eddie McClintock, who plays Ted’s brother.
Includes the episodes:
- Love Blurts: Veridian Dynamics tries to match employees based on their genetic compatibility; Linda and Ted find themselves instantly attracted to their supposed matches.
- The Lawyer, the Lemur & the Little Listener: When a wave of layoff hits Veridian and little Rose seems to have inside info because of a friend in her Hive playgroup, Veronica tries to pump her for information, much to Ted’s disapproval. Meanwhile, Linda is elated to sell her first children’s book — until someone points out that her lead character, a lemur, is the spitting image of Phil — and Lem starts a passionate affair with one of the company lawyers (guest star Chelsey Crisp), only to find out that his paycheck is being docked for the “billable hours” he’s spending with his new girlfriend.
- Battle of the Bulbs: Lem flips out when his mother (guest star Khandi Alexander), a brilliant scientist who has always intimidated him, comes to visit and begins an affair with Dr. Bhamba (Maz Jobrani). Meanwhile, Ted gets miffed when Linda suddenly gets all the credit after she makes a suggestion to improve on his prize project, a light bulb that burns forever.
- It’s Nothing Business, It’s Just Personal: When Veronica’s sexy magician boyfriend Mordor (guest star Mark Deklin) comes to town and she starts slacking off at work big time, Ted tries to interfere in her love life to get her back on track. Meanwhile, Lem is perplexed when he is mysteriously given a bright red lab coat while everyone else has plain white ones . . . is someone at Veridian trying to tell him something?
- The Great Repression: When a misunderstanding leads oddball Sheila (guest star Merrin Dungey) to falsely accuse both Ted and Linda of sexual harassment, Veronica comes up with a solution to avoid having them punished. She convinces Veridian to classify sexual harassment as a disease so anyone accused of it can’t be held responsible. But when the employees get wind of the new rule, things start to get a little crazy in the office.
- Beating a Dead Workforce: After an employee literally drops dead in the midst of Veridian’s big push to finish a major project — a machine that ironically will get people to sleep — Veronica tries to use the incident as inspiration to make the staff work even harder.
- Change We Can’t Believe In: Ted struggles with an overly talkative security guard (guest star Chip Chinery) who worships him and wants to be his best friend. Meanwhile, a terrified Phil and Lem face the prospect of working alone with Veronica for the first time.
- The Impertence of Communicationizing: When a typo in a memo about inappropriate behavior at Veridian Dynamics orders employees to now engage in offensive language, Ted tries to convince the company to correct the error, but not before the insults start flying. Meanwhile, Veronica is afraid, and guilty… If the company can make such a stupid mistake, can it be that her own promotion is the result of a typo on a memo meant for W. Palmer and not V. Palmer?
- The Long and Winding High Road: Ted insists on taking the high road after his nemesis at work (guest star Kyle Bornheimer) comes up with almost the exact same project that Ted’s team has been working on. But Veronica will stop at nothing to get the upper hand.
- Lust In Translation: Ted romances a beautiful German executive (guest star Stefanie von Pfetten) who can’t speak a word of English. It doesn’t matter – Veridian is developing a translation device for her company, enabling the two to communicate. The problem is, the voice of the device is Phil’s, which ruins the mood for Ted.
- Mess of a Salesman: Ted helps his fast talking brother, Billy (guest star Eddie McClintock), get a job selling lab equipment for one of Veridian’s biggest suppliers, but no good deed goes unpunished, as Billy proceeds to sell Veridian more equipment than they could ever use and corrupts Phil and Lem in the process. Meanwhile, a charity for girls that Veridian supports gives Veronica an award, but when she and Linda learn that the company actually gives very little of the money it raises to the charity, they set out to make things right.
- Swag the Dog: Ted is put in charge of a new employee rewards system where the company doles out tickets exchangeable for prizes. Trouble ensues when he is scrutinized for unfairly favoring Linda because he has a crush on her. Lem and Phil seek respect at work and develop a mafia-like ticket counterfeiting system. Veronica is visited by a “ghost of Christmas future” in the form of a board member who devoted his life to the company but is being forced out.
- It’s a Party and I’ll Lie If I Want To: Ted learns how to navigate the “kid mafia” after Rose is invited to a play date with Chet’s daughter and Veronica is forced to find her own way into the club. Lem and Phil believe they’ve taken their friendship with Linda to the next level after they agree to lend her $2500 but are taken aback when they discover she’s throwing a party and they didn’t make the guest list.
Ragnarok
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| Magnolia / Released 11/18/14 |
Sigurd is an archaeologist who is fascinated by a Viking ship found at the Oseberg burial mound. He believes that a runic inscription on the ship, which translates to “man knows little,” holds the key to understanding the Norse myth of Ragnarok: the day when heaven and earth are destroyed. After finding similar inscriptions on a stone in Northern Norway, Sigurd, along with his kids and a colleague, begin an expedition to uncover the secret of the day of doom. A discovery beyond their imagination awaits! Extras include featurette and trailer.
Last Word: A truly undiscovered gem for cinegeeks who grew up watching Spielberg, Ragnarok is a tremendously fun and entertaining adventure film. Through a nostalgic lens, the film accomplishes the rare feat of being a family film that not only delivers, but also isn’t merely a commercial or attempt at servicing an intellectual property. Recommended.
Adventure Time – Finn the Human
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| Cartoon Network / Released 11/25/14 |
From the mind of series creator Pendleton Ward and produced by Cartoon Network Studios, Adventure Time follows the unlikely heroes Finn and Jake, best buddies who traverse the mystical Land of Ooo and encounter its colorful inhabitants – and always find themselves in the middle of heart-pounding escapades. Finn, a silly kid with an awesome hat and Jake, a brassy dog with a big kind heart, depend on each other through thick and thin. The Land of Ooo is teeming with imposing mountains, lush green plains, accessible forests, ubiquitous prairies and winding rivers, the cities and towns are filled with bizarre characters in need of unique assistance.
Whether it’s saving Princess Bubblegum, defeating zombie candy, mocking the “oxy-moronic” Ice King, or rocking out with undead music wiz Marceline the Vampire Queen, with Finn and Jake it’s always Adventure Time. Finn The Human contains 16 episodes (The New Frontier, The Lich, Finn the Human, Jake The Dog, We Fixed a Truck, Blade of Grass, The Red Throne, The Great Bird Man, One Last Job, Little Dude, City of Thieves, Conquest of Cuteness, Who Would Win, Ignition Point, Furniture & Meat and Sad Face) and a Finn backpack.
Jeeves & Wooster Complete Collection
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| Acorn Media / Released 11/25/14 |
Set in 1920s England and New York, Golden Globe winner and seven-time Emmy nominee Hugh Laurie plays bumbling aristocrat Bertie Wooster alongside BAFTA Award nominee Stephen Fry as his trusty valet, Jeeves. These delightfully daffy adaptations star the two comedy legends at their finest. Containing all four series of the show, this collection follows Bertie from one predicament to the next. Whether he’s fending off the ever-present threat of matrimony, facing the disapproval of his domineering aunts, or even appearing in a Broadway play, Bertie frequently teeters towards disaster. Fortunately, the unflappable Jeeves is always on hand with a clever plan to save Bertie from himself. The complete collection includes all four series and 23 episodes
Drunk History Seasons 1 and 2
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| Comedy Central / Released 11/25/14 |
Drunk History presents historical reenactments from A-list talent as told by inebriated storytellers. Drunken and often incoherent narrations provide a unique take on the familiar and not-so-familiar people and events from our county’s great past, with unforgettable results.
Host Derek Waters, along with an ever-changing cast of great actors, leads viewers from town to town across the country. In these 18 episodes, the show visits Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Charleston, Chicago, Detroit, Hawaii, Hollywood, Montgomery, Nashville, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington D.C., and covers topics that include first ladies, sports stars, and the Wild West.
Includes appearances by Jack Black, Will Forte, Jonathan Ames, Adam Scott, Jack McBrayer, Bob Odenkirk, Dave Grohl, Stephen Merchant, Fred Willard, Joe Lo Truglio, Ike Barinholtz, Jenny Slate, Will Sasso, Bill Hader, Simon Helberg, Rob Riggle, Lamorne Morris, Jason Ritter, Matt Walsh, Kevin Nealon, Winona Ryder, Michael Cera, Brett Gelman, Martin Starr, June Diane Raphael, Tim Heidecker, Connie Britton, Natasha Leggero, Lisa Bonet, Terry Crews, Kristen Wiig, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Ken Marino, Alfred Molina, Casey Wilson,Taran Killam, Kumail Nanjiani, Aubrey Plaza, Bradley Whitford, Rob Huebel, Jake Johnson, Horatio Sanz, Chris Parnell, Jordan Peele , “Weird Al” Yankovic, Jordan Peele. Paul Scheer, Retta, Laura Dern, Taran Killam, Jaleel White, Johnny Knoxville, David Wain, Adrianne Palicki, Charlie Day, Jeffrey Ross, Jesse Plemons, Busy Philipps, Patton Oswalt, Nick Kroll, John Lithgow, Michael Angarano, James Hong, Jason Mantzoukas, Jerry O’Connell, Jayma Mays, David Cross, Emily Deschanel, Jason Momoa, Alia Shawkat, Bobby Moynihan and Courteney Cox.
Booze helps bring out the truth of our nation’s history. It’s just that sometimes that truth involves hitting on airport bar janitors or eating cheese fries at 4 a.m. Extras include Drunk Outtakes & Extended Scenes, Extended “First Ladies” Episode and Sober Reveals.
Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Turkey Day Collection
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| Shout! Factory / Released 11/25/14 |
Mystery Science Theater 3000: Turkey Day Edition brings us four features and several shorts. Included are The Phantom Creeps Chapter One: “The Menacing Power; The Painted Hills, based on a novel about a kindly prospector who is murdered and his faithful pup takes on the perp. Also includes the short film Body Care & Grooming, the Gumby short Robot Rumpus and the short film A Case of Spring Fever, in which a frustrated man wishes springs (metal, not seasonal) never existed…and lives to regret it.
The feature films include:
Squirm: When a powerful storm knocks Fly Creek, Georgia’s power lines down onto wet soil, the resulting surge of electricity drives large, bloodthirsty worms to the surface: and then out of their soil-tilling minds! Soon, the townspeople discover that their sleepy fishing village is overrun with worms that burrow right into their skin! Inundated by hundreds of thousands of carnivorous creatures, the terrorized locals race to find the cause of the rampage: before becoming tilled under themselves!
The Screaming Skull: An avaricious husband endeavors to drive his wealthy wife insane by placing human skulls about the house. He is hoping that the ploy will send her packing to an asylum. However, the husband eventually gets all that is coming to him.
The Painted Hills: Consumed by greed, gold prospector Lin turns on his partner, Jonathan, in the hopes of securing a recent discovery for himself. Lin’s plans go awry however when his duplicity and foul deeds are uncovered by young Tommy and Jonathan’s faithful companion, Shep. Desperate, Lin recognizes the threat Tommy and Shep pose, and takes measures to have both share the same fate as Jonathan.
Jungle Goddess: George Reeves stars with Ralph Byrd in a story about a buxom blonde heiress, Greta Vanderhorn (Wanda McKay), proclaimed a ‘white goddess’ by African natives. A relic of political incorrectness, Jungle Goddess provides a King Kong-like combo of sexism and ignorance of jungle cultures.
This 4-DVD collectible tin box set is also stuffed with bonus features, including exclusive new Turkey Day episode introductions by Joel Hodgson, a new interview with Squirm star Don Scardino, new featurettes Undercooked & Overstuffed: Inside the Turkey Day Marathon, Bumper To Bumper: Turkey Day Through The Years, This Film May Kill You: Making ‘The Screaming Skull’ and Gumby & Clokey; as well as four exclusive Mini Posters by artist Steve Vance.
Broad City: Season 1
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| Comedy Central / Released 12/2/14 |
Making quick bank by “returning” office supplies from your temp job? Check. Identifying the suspicious stains on the rental apartment wall? Done. From the collective minds of Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Grazer, and executive produced by Amy Poehler, “Broad City” follows the adventures of two best friends working the big city. No matter how bad it gets, these broads are always down with whatever hits them. Extras include Outtakes & Deleted Scenes, Video Commentary, Photo Gallery and Map of Broad City drawn by Abbi.
Included are the following episodes:
- What a Wonderful World: When Ilana finds out about a secret, pop-up Lil Wayne concert, she and Abbi hustle their way through New York City to scrape together enough money for tickets. No matter how creepy it gets, the girls keep their eyes on the prize.
- P*$$Y Weed: The girls need to grow up! Abbi wants to buy her OWN weed, like a grown woman, while Ilana is finally tackling taxes by herself. Also, the girls are super, super-duper stoned.
- Working Girls: Ilana tries to make some extra cash in the temp game. Abbi promises her neighbor that she will wait for his package, but when she misses the delivery, she must go to the ends of the earth to recover it.
- The Lockout: After Abbi bug bombs her apartment, and Ilana misplaces her keys, the girls are forced to face life on the streets – just in time for Abbi’s first art gallery show.
- Fattest Asses: When Abbi realizes she’s too nice, she puts her bitch hat on while Ilana decides to achieve her full potential. They attend a high-end party and meet some adventurous DJs. Literally nothing can go wrong.
- Stolen Phone: Abbi and Ilana decide to meet some guys “in real life.” Abbi meets the guy of her dreams but loses her phone, and thus, his number. Ilana meets the sexual partner of her dreams but loses interest after seeing his improv.
- Hurricane Wanda: Abbi and Ilana ride out an upcoming storm with their number twos and number threes (Jaimé, Lincoln and Jeremy) but are unfortunately also joined by Bevers and his sister. A game of “Who Done It?” plays out while the hurricane rages outside.
- Destination: Wedding: The girls, along with Lincoln and some old catering co-workers, head to a wedding. While the trip becomes a comedy of errors, Ilana must confront Abbi’s past friendships.
- Apartment Hunters: Abbi is riding high after selling her art, but when Bevers pushes her to the breaking point, she starts the search for a new apartment. Meanwhile, Ilana is trapped in her own personal hell as she deals with the cable company and a creepy ex.
- The Last Supper: The girls go to a fancy-ass restaurant for Abbi’s birthday. Abbi must come to terms with being a “nasty bitch” while Ilana pushes through self-inflicted side effects of their hoity toity meal.
Kite
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| Anchor Bay/Starz / Released 12/2/14 |
Based on the renowned cult classic anime of the same name, Kite tells the story of Sawa (India Eisley), a young woman living in a corrupt society where crime and gangs terrorize the streets. When Sawa’s mother and policeman father are found victims of a grisly double homicide, she begins a ruthless pursuit for the man who murdered them. With the help of her father’s ex-partner, Karl Aker (Samuel L. Jackson), and a mysterious friend from her past (Callan McAuliffe), she becomes a merciless assassin, blasting her way through the dark world of human trafficking only to uncover a devastating truth. Extras include featurettes.
Kung Fu Girl / Whiplash
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| Shout! Factory / Released 12/2/14 |
Whiplash takes place during the early days of the Chinese Republic, where General Yuan has proclaimed himself the new Emperor of China. When young students protest his treaty with Japan, one of the students, Tsai, is arrested by Lei, the Chief of Security. Tsai’s young sister (Pei-Pei Cheng) poses as Lei’s long-lost sister in hopes of finding and rescuing her brother.
In Kung Fu Girl, the Empress Dowager flees when the allied forces descend upon the capital. During an attack by bandits, her jewels are lost in the mountains. Ten years later, a local villager finds the treasure. When news of the found jewels spreads, a group of bandits descends upon the town hoping to find the treasure, but first they’ll have to deal with the villager’s daughter, Tigress (Pei-Pei Cheng), who is quite dangerous due to her amazing fighting skills. This is the first U.S. release of the complete 119-minute version of Kung Fu Girl.
The Simpsons: The Seventeenth Season
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| 20th Century Fox / Released 12/2/14 |
When we were 17 it was a very good year — a year for Homer’s new dad, MacGyver gets mad, Sideshow Bob’s not so bad… Another comical compilation of “The Simpsons” — the longest-running scripted show in television history — has arrived. Season 17 contains all 22 outrageous episodes, a vast repertoire of Springfieldian special features, plus a mind-blowing list of celebrity guest voices, including Alec Baldwin, Larry Hagman, William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Rob Reiner, Susan Sarandon, Joe Frazier, Lily Tomlin, Mandy Moore, and Stacy Keach just to name a few, with additional guest voices also providing commentary including Richard Dean Anderson, Ricky Gervais, Michael York and Kelsey Grammer.
Includes the episodes Bonfire of the Manatees, The Girl Who Slept Too Little, Milhouse of Sand and Fog, Treehouse of Horror XVI, Marge’s Son Poisoning, See Homer Run, The Last of the Red Hat Mamas, The Italian Bob, Simpson Christmas Stories, Homer’s Paternity Coot, We’re on the Road to D’oh-where, My Fair Laddy, The Seemingly Never-Ending Story, Bart Has Two Mommies, Homer Simpson, This Is Your Wife, Million Dollar Abie, Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore, The Wettest Stories Ever Told, Girls Just Want to Have Sums, Regarding Margie, The Monkey Suit, and Marge and Homer Turn a Couple Play. Extras include commentaries, deleted scenes, bonus episodes, original sketches, featurettes and special language feature.
Justified: The Complete Fifth Season
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| Sony / Released 12/2/14 |
This season, Dewey Crowe (Damon Herriman) heading north to invest a $300,000 settlement from the Marshals Service in a brothel owned by Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins), but it isn’t long before his cousin Daryl Jr. and the rest of their Florida crime family arrive to cash in, too. As Daryl looks to consolidate the business in Harlan, Boyd’s efforts to help Ava (Joelle Carter) fix her murder trial run aground, forcing him to reach out to ruthless crime bosses from Lexington, Detroit, and even Canada and Mexico. With the Crowes complicating life in Harlan, Boyd enters into a series of ill-fated alliances that threaten to bring him down and expose Raylan Givens’ (Timothy Olyphant) involvement in a mobster’s questionable death. With Raylan’s future in doubt, a revenge attack catches Art (Nick Searcy) in its crosshairs, unleashing a federal investigation that throws the Crowes into turmoil and puts Boyd on a collision course with the law. Episodes include: A Murder of Crowes, The Kids Aren’t All Right, Good Intentions, Over the Mountain, Shot All to Hell, Kill the Messenger, Raw Deal, Whistle Past the Graveyard, Wrong Roads, Weight, The Toll, Starvation, and Restitution. Extras include commentaries, deleted scenes, making of, a tribute to Elmore Leonard (featuring interviews and passage readings by Robert Forster, Tony Goldwyn, Timothy Olyphant, Patton Oswalt, Danny DeVito, Adam Arkin, Walton Goggins, Dennis Lehane, Graham Yost and many more), Oswalt reading The Onion AV Club‘s obituary for Leonard, and featurettes.
The Hundred-Foot Journey
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| Disney/Touchstone / Released 12/2/14 |
Hassan Kadam (Manish Dayal) is a culinary ingénue with the gastronomic equivalent of perfect pitch. Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri), settles in the quaint village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the south of France. Filled with charm, it is both picturesque and elegant – the ideal place to settle down and open an Indian restaurant, the Maison Mumbai. That is, until the chilly chef proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French restaurant run by Madame Mallory (Helen Mirren), gets wind of it. Her icy protests against the new Indian restaurant a hundred feet from her own escalate to all out war between the two establishments – until Hassan’s passion for French haute cuisine and for Mme. Mallory’s enchanting sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon), combine with his mysteriously delicious talent to weave magic between their two cultures and imbue Saint-Antonin with the flavors of life that even Mme. Mallory cannot ignore. At first Mme. Mallory’s culinary rival, she eventually recognizes Hassan’s gift as a chef and takes him under her wing. Extras include discussion with producers Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, featurettes and cooking demonstration.
Last Word: A warmhearted, charming film that despite one cliché after another leaves you with a smile on your face. Director Lasse Halstrom continues to grow his filmography with a similar kind of “feel good,” optimistic motion picture aimed at an adult audience that unfortunately seems to be the exception by most studios. The Hundred-Foot Journey is a beautiful looking, formulaic film which is well worth your time. Recommended.
Dead Snow 2: Red vs. Dead
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| Well Go USA / Released 12/9/14 |
The sequel to the cult horror comedy from director Tommy Wirkola stars Vegar Hoel, Martin Starr, Jocelyn DeBoer and Ingrid Haas. Picking up immediately where the original left off, the film wastes no time getting right to the gore-filled action, leaving a bloody trail of intestines in its wake. Wirkola comes up with more inventive ways to maim and dismember than anyone ever thought possible. Combining wry humor with horrific worst-case scenarios, this follow-up to the 2009 Midnight classic shocked the weak-of-heart and delighted even the most hard-core fans of the horror genre when it made its debut at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Extras include commentary, featurette, international cut, film short Armen and a comic book.
Hart To Hart: Season 3
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| Shout! Factory / Released 12/9/14 |
When there’s a mystery to be solved…you’ve gotta have Hart! As Jonathan and Jennifer Hart (Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers) , a wealthy and glamorous couple who always manage to find themselves caught up in mystery and adventure, Wagner and Powers charmed audiences with their lighthearted chemistry and thrilling adventures. Assisting the Harts in their jet-setting life of intrigue, the loyal and gravel-voiced servant Max (Lionel Stander) provided an earthy counterpoint to the elegance of his employers. Among the familiar faces found in the third season are Gregory Sierra, Charles, Fleischer, David Doyle, Ron Glass, Florence Henderson, Bernie Kopell, Robert Englund, Ed Harris, David Paymer, Pat Hingle, Sandahl Bergman, William Daniels, Whit Bissell, Peter Jason, Ray Milland, David Hedison, Max Wright, Jonathan Frakes, Alan Oppenheimer, Michael Lerner, Clive Revill, Xander Berkeley, Christopher Hewett, Barry Corbin, Dominique Dunne, and Lane Smith.
Created by Sidney Sheldon, both a bestselling novelist (Master of the Game, Windmills of the Gods) and hit television producer (I Dream of Jeannie, The Patty Duke Show), Hart to Hart is a smart and sexy detective drama reminiscent of the Thin Man movies as well as modern mystery series such as Castle.
Jeff Dunham’s: Very Special Christmas Special
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| Comedy Central / Released 12/9/14 |
Jeff Dunham and his cast of characters make Christmas very special, and hilarious, like only they know how. Share this must-have stand-up comedy special with the entire family for Christmas and all year long! Also includes loads of bonus material.
When the Game Stands Tall
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| Sony / Released 12/9/14 |
Inspired by a true story, When the Game Stands Tall tells the remarkable journey of legendary football coach Bob Ladouceur (Jim Caviezel), who took the De La Salle High School Spartans from obscurity to a 151-game winning streak that shattered all records for any American sport. When the streak is broken, and tragedy strikes the team, Coach Lad must teach his players – and the entire town – that it’s not about how you fall, but how you get back up. Extras include select scene commentary, deleted/extended scenes and featurettes.
Last Word: Not an honest emotional note in this cliché filled sports film. Although based on a true story, this film feels like any number of sports themed pictures, albeit this one has a preachy Christian aspect that doesn’t feel inspirational at all. Worst of all, the film is dull. Predictable sports films tend to go with the genre, but there’s little excuse for boring an audience in what should be overcoming impossible odds. As a result, the only thing impossible here is sitting through this.
