That Time of The Wee–er–Summer: DVD & Blu-ray Wrap Up

So, here we are.

It’s been a whirlwind of a summer plenty of family health issues and concerns (Cancer sucks by the way), and thankfully, things are looking better and this long overdue column has finally seen the light of day.  A frequent and more reguarly scheduled column is the new normal this fall.  Promise.

And this one is huge folks and has enough stuff to keep you watching through the holidays, so as always, fire up that queue and prep that shopping cart.

Justified: The Complete Final Season

Sony / Released 6/2/15

From creator Graham Yost, each episode of the edge-of-your seat final season propels U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) and criminal mastermind Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) ever closer to their ultimate confrontation. While Raylan is torn by just how far he will go to bring Boyd down – including using Boyd’s fiancee Ava (Joelle Carter) as his secret informant – both Raylan and Boyd must now contend with the new incendiary force in town (Sam Elliott), a drug lord intent on building his own pot empire in Harlan. Based on the short story Fire in the Hole by Elmore Leonard, the Peabody Award-winning drama now takes its place in the pantheon of acclaimed drama series. Extras includes featurette.

Includes episodes:

• Fate’s Right Hand: Boyd plans a daring heist. Meanwhile, Raylan tries to turn one of Boyd’s old allies against him.
• Cash Game: Raylan’s investigation leads to a conflict with a paramilitary crew.
• Noblesse Oblige: Raylan follows a trail of illegal explosives in an attempt to pin Boyd.
• The Trash and the Snake: Raylan declares war. Meanwhile, Boyd and Duffy search for a safecracker.
• Sounding: Raylan turns to an old friend for help after Ava makes a drastic decision.
• Alive Day: Raylan investigates a murder. Meanwhile, Boyd is forced to revisit his mining days.
• The Hunt: Raylan is distracted by a visit from his baby daughter. Meanwhile, Boyd takes Ava on a hunting trip.
• Dark as a Dungeon: Raylan makes an unexpected offer to Markham.
• Burned: Ava’s loyalty is tested by Raylan and Boyd. Meanwhile, Markham’s plans go awry.
• Trust: As Boyd looks to get the money he needs to leave Harlan for good, Ava offers Raylan one last chance to put him behind bars.
• Fugitive Number One: Raylan confronts a crisis that threatens the marshals’ careers; Duffy, Mike and Katherine mull the meaning of loyalty.
• Collateral: Raylan and Boyd look for Ava in the mountains; Markham enlists an unlikely ally.
• The Promise: In the series finale, one last battle between Raylan, Boyd and Ava will determine who–if anyone–gets out of Harlan alive.

The Wrecking Crew 

Magnolia / Released 6/16/15

What the Funk Brothers did for Motown…The Wrecking Crew did, only bigger, for the West Coast sound. Six years in a row in the 1960s and early 1970s, the Grammy for “Record of the Year” went to Wrecking Crew recordings. The Wrecking Crew tells the story of the unsung musicians that provided the backbeat, the bottom and the swinging melody that drove many of the number one hits of the 1960s. It didn’t matter if it was Nat “King” Cole, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Monkees, The Byrds or The Beach Boys, these dedicated musicians brought the flair and musicianship that made the American “West Coast sound” a dominant cultural force around the world. Extras include deleted scenes.

The Newsroom: The Complete Third Season

HBO Home Video / Released 6/16/15

The one-hour HBO drama series created by Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network) and executive produced by Sorkin, Scott Rudin and Alan Poul is back for its third and final season. Picking up five months after the end of Season 2, The Newsroom team – anchor (Emmy-winner Jeff Daniels), executive producer (Emily Mortimer), their newsroom staff (John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Olivia Munn, Dev Patel) along with news-division boss (Sam Waterston) and parent-company CEO (Jane Fonda) – will fight for control of Atlantis Cable News Network (ACN), and manage the repercussions of Neal’s receipt of confidential documents leaked by a mystery government source (a la Edward Snowden). As subpoenas are served and hostile-takeover rumors fly over the course of the six gripping episodes, McAvoy (Jeff Daniels) and his team redouble their efforts to “do the news well” in an increasingly competitive digital universe where tweets and Instagrams often trump old-fashioned professionalism. Extras include commentary and featurettes.

Episodes include:

• Boston: It is April 2013, and the aftermath of the Genoa disaster means the News Night team treats a breaking story cautiously – a strategy that could benefit the show in the long run, or ruin the trust of their remaining viewers. Meanwhile, an anonymous source contacts Neal about stolen government documents that may be related to overseas riots, Sloan looks into a possible takeover, and Maggie subs for Elliot following the Boston Marathon bombings.
• Run: Rebecca defends ACN again as another lawsuit looms; Neal could be in trouble after a dangerous leak; Charlie and Leona confront a hostile takeover attempt by Reese’s half-siblings; Sloan worries that Don has crossed an ethical line; Hallie regrets a late-night tweet; Maggie weighs the pros and cons of eavesdropping.
• Main Justice: Will is in for a surprise at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner; Leona and Reese scramble to raise money to halt Blair and Randy’s takeover; Charlie shares ideas with an ACN suitor; Maggie’s scoop on the EPA gets air time on “News Night”; Sloan and Don try to keep their romance a secret from a new HR executive.
• Contempt: Will refuses to reveal the source of stolen government documents even though he could go to jail for contempt. Meanwhile, Sloan and Mac search for a last-minute buyer for ACN when Charlie’s had it with Lucas; and Hallie’s new job puts a strain on her relationship with Jim.
• Oh Shenandoah: Will’s jailed for contempt, but still won’t give up the name of Neal’s government source; Charlie goes along with Pruit’s order to cater to younger viewers by sending Don to investigate a sexual-abuse case at an elite college; Sloan objects to a new digital site; Jim and Maggie are stranded in a Russian airport, but try to book seats on a plane bound for Cuba so they can interview a noteworthy passenger.
• What Kind of Day Has It Been: A shocking death prompts Will and Mac to reminisce about the newsroom’s past and ponder ACN’s uncertain future. Meanwhile, Maggie gets an interview for a field producer in Washington, D.C.; Leona offers advice to Pruit; and Neal’s digital site it shut down for repairs.

Unfinished Business

20th Century Fox/ Released 6/16/15

In this hilarious drink-like-a-fish-out-of-water comedy, Vince Vaughn stars as a hard-working entrepreneur who travels to Europe with his two associates (Dave Franco, Tom Wilkinson) to close the most important business deal of their lives. But the journey quickly spins out of control as the hapless trio encounters all kinds of crazy obstacles, including Oktoberfest bar brawls, hotel foul-ups, foreign GPS directions, and a global fetish festival. In the end, these guys gone wild might just land the deal…if they can survive the trip.  Extras include gallery, trailer, featurette and deleted and alternate scenes.

Mystery of Lord Lucan

Acorn Media / Released 4/28/15

Includes the 2013 two-part drama Lucan from acclaimed writer Jeff Pope (Philomena), based on the book by John Pearson and starring Rory Kinnear, Catherine McCormack, Michael Gambon, and Christopher Eccleston.  In Part One, while researching a book about London’s posh gambling scene of the 1960s and ’70s, writer John Pearson becomes transfixed by the story of the missing—and maybe murderous—John Bingham, 7th Earl of Lucan. Pearson delves into Lucan’s world as the high-born lord struggles to keep up appearances amid staggering gambling losses.  In Part Two, the battered body of the nanny lies in the kitchen, and Lucan has vanished. As a national manhunt begins, the lord’s aristocratic circle closes ranks. With his wife offering damning evidence, Lucan is tried in absentia.

Also includes the 1994 fictional reimagining Trial of Lord Lucan starring Julian Wadham and Anthony Head. In the early hours of November 8, 1974, the 7th Earl of Lucan disappeared without a trace. What investigators subsequently found shocked the public: the body of his children’s nanny, Sandra, bludgeoned to death in the basement.  In this fictitious reimagining, one of the most notorious figures in recent British history stands trial for murder. Prosecutors present the evidence, witnesses attest to events, and Lucan has the chance to defend himself at last. In the end, a jury of real British citizens gives a verdict on the infamous crime.

The Land That Time Forgot

Kino Lorber/ Released 6/16/15

When a band of castaways lands on a mysterious island, they discover it’s already inhabited by giant carnivorous creatures and wonders beyond the imagination. In order to stay alive, they’re pitted to the death against deadly dinosaurs, fearsome sea monsters, soaring pterodactyls, and marauding tribes of primitive humans in this elaborate fantasy adventure where the action is unremitting. Doug McClure and Susan Penhaligon star in this exciting prehistoric adventure. Directed by Kevin Connor (The People That Time Forgot). Extras include commentary.

Beyond the Reach

Lionsgate/ Released 6/16/15

A cocky businessman (Michael Douglas) hires an earnest young guide (Jeremy Irvine) to take him hunting in the Mojave Desert. Far from civilization, the unthinkable happens when another outdoorsman is mistaken for game and accidentally shot. Things take an even worse turn when the guide refuses to be drawn into the dishonest cover-up, and must now run for his life before the hunter – and the elements – do him in. Extras include commentary and featurettes.

Tentacles / Reptilicus 

Shout! Factory/ Released 6/16/15

Tentacles
It’s angry. It’s hungry. It’s extremely well-armed and it’s descending on a small seaside town to sample the local cuisine! John Huston, Shelley Winters, Bo Hopkins and Henry Fonda do all they can to keep a giant marine menace from turning their sleepy village into a one-stop snack-shop in this fast-paced thriller! Directed by cult director/producer Ovidio G. Assonitis (Beyond The Door, The Visitor, The Curse), Tentacles is a menacing jolt-a-thon that’ll grip you with relentless terror and never let go! Extras include trailer.

Reptilicus
Discover the true meaning of survival of the fittest, as a terrifying creature from the past brings the future to its knees! Packed with thrills, chills and prehistoric spills, Reptilicus proves that “if cats have nine lives, monsters have even more”, (Citizen News)! Directed by Sidney W. Pink (writer and producer of the cult films The Angry Red Planet, Pyro), Reptilicus is a spine-chilling creature feature about a cold-blooded 90-foot killer whose time has come… again! Extras include trailer.

Welcome to Me

Alchemy / Released 6/16/15

When Alice Klieg (Kristen Wiig) wins the Mega-millions lottery, she quits her psychiatric meds and buys her own talk show. Inspired by the immortal Oprah, she broadcasts her dirty laundry as both a form of exhibitionism and a platform to share her peculiar views on everything from nutrition to relationships to neutering pets. Extras include featurette.

Time Lapse 

Xlrator/ Released 6/16/15

A science fiction thriller with a mind-bending premise, Time Lapse explores the possibilities of time travel via a camera that takes pictures 24 hours into the future. When three friends discover this mysterious machine, they conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop and tear their relationship apart. Starring Danielle Panabaker, Matt O’Leary, and George Finn, Time Lapse combines edge-of-your-seat suspense with provocative ideas about pre-determination and free will. Extras include featurettes, commentary and deleted scenes.

Malice

Kino Lorber/ Released 6/16/15

Harold Becker (The Onion Field) directed this bold, riveting and deviously entertaining thriller starring Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman and Bill Pullman. An easy-going college dean’s quiet New England world has just been terribly disrupted, two coeds have been raped, a third has been killed, and the police are beginning to suspect him. At home, bills are piling up, his wife is developing severe stomach cramps and the new tenant – a devilishly handsome surgeon – is regularly “entertaining” nurses late into the night. Little does Andy know that all of these events are related… and that he’s about to be blindsided by something more daring and deadly than anything he could have ever imagined! Boasting an excellent supporting cast that includes George C. Scott, Anne Bancroft, Gwyneth Paltrow, Bebe Neuwirth, Peter Gallagher, Josef Sommer and Tobin Bell, this spine-tingling thriller was beautifully shot by the great Gordon Willis.  Extras include trailer.

The Onion Field

Kino Lorber / Released 6/16/15

From a real life American tragedy, this tale of thoughtless brutality, cold-blooded murder and hard won justice is a prowling, gripping, disturbing movie starring John Savage and James Woods and featuring a stunning attention to detail. The Onion Field is intriguing, absorbing, powerful, well acted and riveting from beginning to end. On March 9, 1963, LAPD officers Karl Hettinger (Savage) and Ian Campbell (Ted Danson) pull over a vehicle for making an illegal U-turn and find themselves held at gunpoint by two seasoned armed robbers. Forced to give up their guns and drive to a deserted road, both officers face the horror of becoming victims in a mob-style execution… but only one is able to escape into the bleak darkness of an onion field. Stylishly directed by Harold Becker (Malice) with a screenplay Joseph Wambaugh – based on his best-selling novel. Co-starring Franklyn Seales, Ronny Cox and Christopher Lloyd. Extras include commentary, documentary and interview.

Eye for an Eye 

Kino Lorber / Released 6/16/15

International superstar Chuck Norris stars in this pulse-pounding revenge thriller that pulls out all the stops for explosive edge-of-your-seat excitement. Crackling with unbridled energy and suspense, it’s an electrifying adventure that’s as fast and hard-hitting as its unstoppable hero. Police detective Sean Kane (Norris) is any criminal’s worst nightmare: a cop who’s just as lethal with his lightning-quick martial arts moves as he is a with his service revolver. But when his partner is brutally murdered, Kane quits the force and goes beyond the law to seek vengeance against the ruthless Morgan Canfield (Christopher Lee), a powerful and well-connected drug lord who destroys any man who stands in his way. But Kane has never been more ready for a fight. He’s bold, ferocious and has an ace up his sleeve: his mentor, Chan (Mako), a martial arts wizard who will join him in a thrilling no-holds-barred final assault against Canfield and his criminal empire. Action veteran Steve Carver (River of Death) directs a top-notch supporting cast that includes Richard Roundtree, Matt Clark, Stuart Pankin, Rosalind Chao, Terry Kiser and Professor Toru Tanaka. Extras include commentary.

Hero & The Terror

Kino Lorber/ Released 6/16/15

A notorious killer is back to terrorize Los Angeles, and only one man can stop him. Martial arts superstar Chuck Norris (An Eye For An Eye) packs a powerful punch I this exciting action-thriller about a tough L.A. cop’s pursuit of a savage villain from his past. Adroitly directed by William Tannen (Flashpoint) with startling images and harrowing action scenes, Hero and the Terror is edge-of-your-seat suspense from beginning to end. Homicide detective Danny O’Brien (Norris) is known simply as “Hero” for having brought down L.A.’s most vicious serial killer: Simon Moon (Jack O’Halloran) a.k.a. “The Terror.” But for years, O’Brien has secretly been haunted by the fact that his capture of Moon was a fluke. When The Terror escapes from jail and returns to his old killing ways, O’Brien finally gets the chance to earn his glorified reputation… if his monstrous enemy doesn’t destroy him first! The wonderful supporting cast includes Steve James, Brynn Thayer, Ron O’Neal  and Billy Drago. Extras include trailer.

Two and a Half Men:The Complete Twelfth and Final Season

Warner Home Video / Released 6/16/15

Season Twelve begins with an unexpected twist, when single billionaire Walden Schmidt (Ashton Kutcher) suffers a mild heart attack on his way to a Halloween party. Walden’s brush with death causes him to reevaluate his life and he decides to become a father. But after attempting to adopt as a single guy, Walden turns to his best friend/housemate, Alan Harper (Jon Cryer) for help, and Alan’s dreams of living in the Malibu beach house forever come true when Walden proposes. Walden and Alan convince their social worker that they’re a loving, albeit quirky, couple by day – while sneaking girlfriends out of the house by night. Eventually, the guys welcome six-year-old foster child Louis (new series regular Edan Alexander) into their lives, and all sorts of comedic exploits unfold as newlyweds Walden and Alan adjust to their new lives as co-parents, husbands and bachelors. Everything seems perfect at the household for these two and a half men, until they get a surprise visit from Charlie’s widow, Rose, (recurring guest star Melanie Lynskey) and learn that Charlie Harper is alive. Or is he? Extras include gag reel.

Episodes Include:

• The Ol’ Mexican Spinach: While getting ready for a Halloween’s night out, Walden suffers a minor heart attack, which results in Walden reevaluating his life. Walden’s decisions have a major impact on Alan’s future.

• A Chic Bar in Ibiza: Alan gets offended when Walden asks him to sign a prenuptial agreement, which gives him pause about getting married.

• Glamping in a Yurt: Alan and Walden try to convince a social worker that they’re a loving couple and capable of adopting a child. Meanwhile, Lyndsey gets out of rehab after 60 days.

• Thirty-Eight, Sixty-Two, Thirty-Eight: Walden baby proofs the house to pass the inspection from the adoption agency. Walden and Alan have a “we’re getting a baby party” with their friends.

• Oontz, Oontz, Oontz: Walden and Alan become foster parents for the weekend to a 6 year old boy named Luis. Walden is frustrated over making this work; thus, triggering series of fun incidents.

• Alan Shot a Little Girl: Alan breaks Walden’s rules when he realizes that Louis thinks he’s cool, and he wants it stay that way.

• Sex With an Animated Ed Asner: Walden and Alan make friends with three moms at a gym for kids, but the relationship turns awkward when Walden becomes attracted to one of them. Meanwhile, Alan tags along on a girls’ night out.

• Clockwise in Back Hole Until Tight: The existence of Santa Claus is explained to Louis by Alan and Walden.

• Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy, Lyndsey: Walden finds it difficult to get close to women when his foster son, Louis, is home. Meanwhile, Herb asks for Alan’s permission to go on a date with Lyndsey.

• Here I Come, Pants!: Walden may lose Louis when the social worker finds out that he and Alan aren’t actually a couple, but Alan isn’t ready to give up without a fight.

• For Whom the Booty Calls: Walden joins a support group for fathers with adoptive kids. But Alan isn’t that easy to get away from.

• A Beer-Battered Rip-Off: Lyndsey drops off some off Alans old things and tell him she is leaving town. Alan tries to win her back and breaks up with Ms. McMartin.

• Boompa Loved His Hookers: Lyndsey asks Alan to move in with her, but he’s not sure it’s the right thing to do. Meanwhile, Walden worries that Louis’ adoption could be in jeopardy if he breaks up with Ms. McMartin.
  

• Don’t Give a Monkey a Gun: Walden grants Alan a wish as a divorce present. Lyndsey does not approve of Alan’s choice so he tries to make it up to her.

• Of Course He’s Dead: The series finale recalls the life—and presumed death—of Charlie Harper.

Last Word: When Charlie Sheen departed midway through season eight, Two and a Half Men started a spiral toward ridiculousness that ultimately ended with a series finale so bizarre that it makes one wonder if it might be cheaper for series producer Chuck Lorre to work out his issues in therapy rather than on a network sitcom.  With an abbreviated final season, attempts were made to reconcile various plot threads and characters and provided little logic and even less satisfaction than expected.  I was, a fan of the series (which in my opinion didn’t get the credit it deserved during Sheen’s run), and it’s evolution ultimately gave us a last season with Alan (Now an extremely creepy caricature rather than a character) marrying Walden (Ashton Kutcher), so Walden’s character could become a father.  Not only is this set-up a long overused and tired trope, but the series just wasn’t funny anymore.  The finale, which teased the return of Sheen’s character instead became an opportunity for Lorre to make fun of the actor, in a series of continually unfunny gags and jokes.  It’s hard to recommend season twelve, but if you were ever a fan, it’s even harder to watch.

Bravetown

Entertainment One/ Released 6/16/15

Josh Harvest, a hardened New York City teen from a broken home – and quietly one of the country’s top dance club DJs and remixers – is sentenced to counseling for a minor drug infraction, along with an extended stay with his estranged father, who lives in a small town in North Dakota. He is slow to warm to his new environment, a town best-known for sending its young off to war, many of whom never return. But when Josh is asked to help out the last-place dance team as they vie for the state competition title, his rough exterior begins to soften. As his relationships emerge with both the team’s captain, Mary, and his therapist, each of whom have lost someone special to war, it forces all three to begin to face and heal their pasts.

The Driver

Acorn Media / Released 6/16/15

On the mean streets of Manchester, a down-on-his-luck cabbie moonlights as a driver for a crime gang-and embarks on a collision course with murder. In this pulse-pounding miniseries, Vince McKee (David Morrissey, The Walking Dead) is pushed to the breaking point from endless days of driving rude passengers in a dingy cab for laughable pay. His fortunes change when a crime boss known as the Horse (Colm Meaney, Star Trek: The Next Generation) taps him for high-paying driving jobs for his gang-but the thick wads of cash Vince earns may only hasten the demise of his marriage to Ros (Claudie Blakley, Pride & Prejudice) and worsen his relationship with his daughter (Sacha Parkinson, Mr. Selfridge). Too late, Vince realizes that his next drive may be his last.

Shot on location in Manchester, The Driver is a white-knuckle ride fueled by Morrissey’s gritty performance and a taut script from a BAFTA Award-nominated writer of Shameless. Extras include behind-the-scenes footage and photo gallery.

• Episode 1: An ex-con buddy introduces Vince to the Horse, a high-living gangster in need of a driver. The new job comes with perks-and peril-as Vince evades cops on a breakneck chase and later becomes party to a brutal beating.

• Episode 2: Vince discovers that his newfound wealth won’t mend the damage to his marriage. When he attempts to rectify a horrific act of violence, the cops catch wind of his involvement.

• Episode 3: As the police tighten their noose on Vince, the gang prepares a major heist. Betrayed by a co-worker and caught between the criminals and the cops, Vince hits the gas to save his family.

The Bold Ones: The Senator – The Complete Series

Shout! Factory / Released 6/16/15

In this gripping drama, Senator Hays Stowe (Hal Holbrook in an Emmy award-winning performance) stars as a crusading politician works tirelessly to serve his constituents and the American people as a whole. Exploring the issues facing our nation, The Senator received praise for its intelligent portrayal of the challenges and responsibilities inherent in one of the most sacred duties imaginable.

Co-starring Sharon Acker and Michael Tolan and featuring guest appearances by Randolph Mantooth and Burgess Meredith, The Bold Ones: The Senator is a fascinating look back at the ideals held within our political system and a program whose themes still resonate today. Extras include interview, Dick Cavett Show excerpt and Anti-drug PSA.

Episodes include:

• A Clear and Present Danger: When an old friend of the family dies from emphysema, the son of a U.S. Senator takes up the crusade against air pollution. 

• To Taste of Death But Once: Despite a threat on his life, Senator Stowe accepts an invitation from Garbury College to speak about the practical uses of political dissent. 

• The Day the Lion Died: Junior Senator Stowe is dealt a severe rebuke from Senate Majority Leader Homer Wydell when he tries to investigate a controversial and secretive military contract. When the elder senator begins exhibiting symptoms of dementia, Stowe has to make a tough choice whether to risk ruining his own career by publicly questioning Wydell’s competency before he leaves to chair a high stakes international arms conference.

• Power Play: When Stowe throws his support behind a reform candidate as party nominee for a special election, he suddenly finds himself short of votes to secure passage of his signature education subsidy legislation. He risks alienating his grassroots supporters by considering a deal offered by State Party Chairman Mallon, who is desperate to nominate a wealthy but unqualified candidate.

• A Continual Roar of Musketry (Part 1): Two college students are shot to death on campus by the National Guard during a Vietnam War demonstration that was preceded by several acts of arson and violence in the small town surrounding the campus. Senator Stowe agrees to chair a 3-person commission to hold a public hearing to investigate the shootings, but quickly finds out he’s the only one interested in maintaining objectivity and civility as tensions continue to rise.

• A Continual Roar of Musketry (Part 2): As key event participants give testimony, Senator Stowe tries to reconcile differences in conflicting testimony, such as the existence of student snipers and whether or not an order was given to arm weapons, to determine if the National Guard’s response was appropriate and to what extent the protestors were responsible.

• Someday They’ll Elect a President: As part of an effort to bring a new power plant to his state, Senator Stowe’s aide Jordan Boyle makes a major error in judgment by drafting and signing an introduction letter to a businessman who was later revealed to be a high ranking member of the mob.

• George Washington Told a Lie: Senator Stowe proudly announces final approval for the construction of a long awaited hydroelectric dam in his home state. However, protesters bring to his attention a previously overlooked detail that the project will forcefully displace a tribe of 76 Native Americans from their reservation because of a technicality in their treaty, which was written in 1792 by George Washington.

• The Single Blow of a Sword: An opponent of the welfare system who works for the Office of Enforcement Operations attempts to derail Senator Stowe’s Inner City Self Help Act legislation by publishing a report containing evidence of misappropriation of funds by an administrator Stowe personally selected for a similar anti poverty agency.

Nature: Animal Homes

PBS Distribution / Released 6/16/15

Animals, like humans, need a place they can call home to provide a safe and stable place to raise a family, but they go about building it in entirely different ways. Whether it is a bird’s nest, bear den, beaver lodge or spider web, these are homes of great complexity, constructed from a wide range of natural as well as man-made materials. This three-part series investigates just how animals build their remarkable homes around the globe and the intriguing behaviors and social interactions that take place in and around them.

Hosting the series is ecologist Chris Morgan (Siberian Tiger Quest, Bears of the Last Frontier), who serves as guide and real estate agent. He evaluates and deconstructs animal abodes, their materials, location, neighborhood and aesthetics. In addition to Morgan opening the doors of animal homes in the wild, he is also in studio showing examples of the incredible diversity of nests and their strength, even trying his hand at building a few.

The series features a blend of CGI, animation, CT scans and signature blueprint graphics to highlight engineering principles inside the structures. A variety of cameras, including tiny HD versions, capture unprecedented views inside animal homes without disturbing natural behavior. When appropriate, filmmakers shoot behaviors in slow motion and use infrared and time lapse to reveal how animals create their structures over time and through the seasons. The series delves into the amazing flexibility animal architects display, the clever choices they make and the ingenious ways they deal with troublesome habitats.

Includes episodes:

• The Nest: Bird nests come in all shapes and sizes, crafted from an inexhaustible diversity of materials, including fur, grasses, leaves, mosses, sticks and twigs, bones, wool, mud and spider silk. Quite a few also contain man-made materials – colorful twine, bits of wire, even plastic bags. Each one is a remarkable work of art, built with just a beak! We begin with a museum collection of nests and branch out to scenes in the wild all over the world, where birds arrive at diverse nesting grounds to collect, compete for, reject, steal and begin to build with carefully selected materials, crafting homes for the all-important task of protecting their eggs and raising their young. 

• Location, Location, Location: Finding a good base of operations is key to successfully raising a family. One must find the correct stream or tree, the correct building materials, neighbors and sometimes tenants. In the wild, every home is a unique DIY project, every head of household is a designer and engineer. Animated blueprints and tiny cameras chart the building plans and progress of beavers, saltmarsh sparrows, woodrats, gray jays, hawks and black-chinned hummingbirds, examining layouts and cross sections, evaluating the technical specs of their structures and documenting their problem-solving skills. Animal architecture provides remarkable insights into animal consciousness, creativity and innovation.

• Animal Cities: Animals congregate in huge colonies partly out of necessity and partly for the security that numbers provide. Puffins in the Hebrides, off the west coast of Scotland, form nesting colonies of more than a million, tucked in between hundreds of thousands of other seabirds, which provides shared information about food sources and reduces the odds of individual birds being attacked. But, colonies are also useful for predators. Social spiders in Ecuador work together to capture prey 20 times the size an individual might subdue on its own. For others, communal living provides perfect multi-generational caregiving options or the opportunity to build enormous cities – such as the acre-wide, multi-million-citizen colonies built by leaf cutter ants in Costa Rica.

Boys In The Band

Kino Lorber / Released 6/16/15

Extraordinary! Groundbreaking! Controversial! Director William Friedkin (The Exorcist, Cruising) and playwright Mart Crowley serve up the acclaimed, groundbreaking film adapted from Crowley’s hallmark off-Broadway play – a witty, perceptive and devastating look at the personal agendas and suppressed revelations swirling among a group of gay men in Manhattan. Harold (Leonard Frey) is celebrating a birthday, and his friend Michael (Kenneth Nelson) has drafted some friends to help commemorate the event. As the evening progresses, the alcohol flows, the knives come out, and Michael’s demand that the group participate in a devious telephone game unleashes dormant and unspoken emotions in this iconic classic. Co-starring Cliff Gorman (Cops and Robbers). Extras include commentary and featurettes.

Survivor’s Remorse: The Complete First Season
 

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 6/16/15

Survivor’s Remorse, a six-episode half-hour comedy series, follows Cam Calloway played by Jessie T. Usher, a basketball phenom in his early 20’s who is suddenly thrust into the limelight after signing a multi- million dollar contract with a professional basketball team in Atlanta. Cam, along with his cousin, and confidant Reggie Vaughn, played by RonReaco Lee, move to Georgia to start Cam’s journey to success. The two confront the challenges of carrying opportunistic family members and their strong ties to the impoverished community that they come from. Cam, Reggie, and an unforgettable group of characters wrestle with the rewards and pitfalls of stardom, love, and loyalty. The series is executive produced by Mike O’Malley, LeBron James, Tom Werner, Maverick Carter, and Paul Wachter, and the cast includes Mike Epps, Tichina Arnold, Teyonah Parris, and Erica Ash. Extras include featurettes.

Episodes include:

• In The Offing: A young pro-basketball star and his opportunistic family entourage begins with the player arriving in Atlanta, where he deals with a new city, a new team and the same old relatives who take advantage of him and his generosity.

• On the Carpet: At a charity event for an abused child, Cam’s mother goes overboard detailing a story about her son’s upbringing, while Uncle Julius steps up as a “talent scout” for Cam. 

• How to Build a Brand: Following Reggie and Missy’s advice, Cam pays a visit to a dying, basketball-loving teen who hits him with a surprise request; Reggie suggests that Cam to put the family on the payroll. 

• The Decisions: Missy works to score Reggie a membership in an exclusive country club that was founded by blacks, while Cam, in his search to support a church, gets a surprise from a pastor. 

• Out of the Past: Cam and Reggie reconnect with a talented player whose career was sidetracked by prison; Cassie gets a home-purchasing budget from Reggie; and Cam contemplates slipping into a shoe-endorsement deal. 

• Six: A former girlfriend reconnects with Reggie, leaving the family concerned.

Li’l Quinquin

Kino Lorber / Released 6/2/15

French director Bruno Dumont (Camille Claudel 1915), best known for uncompromising and austere dramas, proves with the comedic Li’l Quinquin that he is capable of shifting gears without conceding his signature style. This absurdist, metaphysical murder mystery opens with the discovery of human body parts stuffed inside a cow — a literal bête humaine — on the outskirts of the English Channel in northern France. The bumbling and mumbling Captain Van der Wyden (Bernard Pruvost) is assigned to investigate the crime, but he has to contend with a young prankster, the mischievous Quinquin (Alane Delhaye). Li’l Quinquin has been compared to Twin Peaks and True Detective, but it stands alone as a masterwork from one of the most important contemporary French directors. Includes trailer.

Dog Soldiers 

Shout! Factory / Released 6/23/15

A group of soldiers dispatched to the Scottish Highlands on special training maneuvers face their biggest fears after they run into Captain Ryan – the only survivor of a Special Ops team that was literally torn to pieces. Ryan refuses to disclose his mission even though whoever attacked his men might be hungry for seconds. Help arrives in the form of local girl who shelters them in a deserted farmhouse deep in the forest…but when they realize that they are surrounded by a pack of blood-lusting werewolves, it’s apparent their nightmare has just begun!

From Neil Marshall, the director of The Decent, Doomsday, Centurion and episodes of Game Of Thrones, comes this terrifying thriller starring Kevin McKidd (Rome, Hannibal Rising), Sean Pertwee (Soldier, Event Horizon), Emma Cleasby (Doomsday) and Liam Cunningham (Game Of Thrones, Clash Of The Titans). Extras include commentary, making of, featurette, trailer, short film; Combat, and galleries.

Ripper Street: Season Three

BBC Home Video /Released 6/23/15

It’s been four years since the split of the dynamic crime-fighting team of DI Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen, Pride & Prejudice), Sgt. Bennet Drake (Jerome Flynn, Game of Thrones), and Captain Homer Jackson (Adam Rothenberg, Tennessee). Each member of the trio has fallen into personal turmoil, but they find themselves reuniting and putting their past aside after a train heist leads to a massive locomotive accident. Their pursuit of the culprit leads to a chain of events that will wreak havoc through the streets of Whitechapel.

Episodes include:

• Case One (Part One): Chandler and Miles investigate the slaughter of four people at a tailor’s fortified workshop. Buchan, retained by Chandler as the team’s historical adviser, believes that the huge archive at Whitechapel station will provide the necessary insight into the baffling crime, that appears to echo the Ratcliff Highway murders two-hundred years earlier. However, with no obvious point of access, both Chandler and Miles are puzzled as to how the killer would have committed the crimes without being seen.

• Case One (Part Two): When a second mass murder occurs, the M.O. matches the first case – again there was no obvious break-in and no forensic evidence to identify the killer. Chandler and Miles then discover that in both cases, food and drink was known to have been disappearing from the fridge days before the murders, and work out that the killer must have been hiding in the underbelly of the murder scenes, ready to pick the perfect moment to commit the crime. But can they identify the location of his next spree in time?

• Case Two (Part One): As Chandler and Miles attend the christening of Miles’s daughter, a fox runs through the streets of Whitechapel with a human arm in it’s mouth. Soon, more body parts from the same victim are washed up by the river, all containing evidence of a fatal poisoning. When limbs of a second victim are uncovered, Buchan believes the crimes echo the Thames torso murders of the 1880s – can the team, with the help of a female DI from South of the river, attractively like Chandler in her habits, crack the gruesome case?

• Case Two (Part Two): When traces of the aphrodisiac Spanish fly are found in the bodies of the two murder victims, Chandler and Miles question what kind of killer they could be up against. As further victims come to light, the team are taken to the heart of a dark obsession where they discover that romance and love haven taken a sinister turn, and that the killer is picking his victims based on the appearance of his ‘lost love’, the driving force behind the murders. But can they catch him before he becomes out of control and strikes again?

• Case Three (Part One): When a babysitter is murdered, the post mortem reveals that her mobile phone had been thrust down her throat. Shortly afterwards, a second victim is discovered, having had his blood used to cover a wall which he was graffiting on. Chandler, Miles and the team suspect a dangerous patient and former Whitechapel resident, who has recently escaped from a psychiatric unit, and is obsessed with Lon Chaney and the film London After Midnight, where the sins of the victims are used against them during their murder.

• Case Three (Part Two): With the body count rising following the murder of a young boy in a police firefight, Miles and Chandler clash over the direction of the investigation. Having already survived the killer’s wrath once, Morgan Lamb is of particular interest to the team – especially Chandler. When she is attacked again, miraculously surviving the killer’s advances a second time, Miles is certain of her involvement. As the chase escalates, will the team be able to put their differences aside in the face of their toughest adversary yet?

Workaholics: Season 5

Comedy Central / Released 6/23/15

Adam, Blake and Ders return for another season of misguided schemes and non-stop partying with Workaholics: Season Five. From schooling the competition in 80s trivia to crashing a DeMamp family funeral, these guys are fending off adulthood in style. Extras include bloopers, deleted scenes, uncensored trailer, and featurettes.

Episodes include:

• Dorm Daze: An attempt to recruit college students to TelAmeriCorp leads the boys to a college campus that Adam quickly realizes is the home of his favorite pornographic webseries. In looking for the famed room that hosted the majority of the porn production company’s shoots, Adam finds himself struggling with the true meaning of pornography after he mistakenly takes part in a women’s studies class while Blake gets inadvertently roped into participating in the company’s newest porn shoot. 

• Front Yard Wrestling: The gang makes their own public access wrestling show to make long overdue rent money. Ben Stiller guest stars as Del Jacobsen, the boys’ landlord. 

• Speedo Racer: The guys help Ders get even with an old high school swim team rival. 

• Menergy Crisis: The boys form a band after writing a song together, but kick Blake out after discovering that he can’t sing very well. Abandoned, Blake swears revenge on Adam and Ders and vows to do whatever it takes to sabotage their “concert” at the upcoming work party. 

• Gayborhood: The boys crash a neighborhood “Pride” party for homosexual men, mistaking it for an MMA-themed bash. Desperate to fit in (due to the free liquor and snacks) they drink heavily and pretend to be gay themselves, to the point in which they wake up with terrible hangovers and little recollection of what happened, only to be informed that they may have gotten closer with each other in ways that make them uncomfortable. 

• Ditch Day: The guys agree to hand off a mysterious package for Karl and, in turn, stage an office wide ditch day so they can stay home and make the deal. 

• Gramps DeMamp Is Dead: Adam & his father risk it all to give Gramps a proper DeMamp funeral. Jack Black guest stars as Adam’s father. 

• Blood Drive: The guys try to win an office blood drive in order to meet their idol, Dolph Lundgren. 

• Wedding Thrashers: The gang parties with a rich girl at a bar. Adam likes her but thinks he’s going to lose the gang if he dates her. They take him on his dream bachelor party as a send-off. 

• Trivia Pursuits: The gang plays 80’s movie trivia and they decide to scam their competitors. 

• The Slump: Adam is in a sales slump because he lost the top gun (top salesman) of the month award. Blake and Ders cheer him up by making up a fake customer named Dick Blownoff. 

• Peyote It Forward: Adam laces the gang’s smoothies with peyote. Meanwhile, they have to watch a kid.  

• TAC in the Day: The guys reminisce about their first day of work at TelAmeriCorp.

The Forger 

Lionsgate / Released 6/23/15

The world’s best art forger (John Travolta) makes a deal with a crime syndicate to get an early release from prison, but in return he must pull of an impossible heist – he must forge a painting by Claude Monet, steal the original from a museum and replace it with a replica so perfect that no one will notice. He enlists the help of his father (Christopher Plummer) and son (Tye Sheridan) and together they plan the heist of their lives! Extras include featurette.

Stone Cold 

Olive Films / Released 6/23/15

Fed up with a system that allows criminals to walk free, Joe Huff (Brian Bosworth, Three Kings, The Longest Yard) is a cop on the edge. While on suspension for insubordination, Joe is strong-armed by the FBI to go undercover in the Deep South to infiltrate a dangerous white supremacist biker gang known as The Brotherhood. Taking down The Brotherhood’s murderous leader, Chains Cooper (Lance Henriksen, Aliens, Near Dark), and bringing the gang to justice won’t be easy. But Joe doesn’t do “easy.”

Stone Cold stars former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brian “The Boz” Bosworth in a film that’s wall-to-wall, knock down, knock out action. The supporting cast features William Forsythe (Once Upon A Time In America, The Devil’s Rejects), Arabella Holzbog (Across The Universe, Bad News Bears) and Sam McMurray (Raising Arizona) in a film directed by Craig R. Baxley (Dark Angel, Action Jackson) from a screenplay by Walter Doniger.

Timbuktu 

Cohen Media / Released 6/23/15

Not far from the ancient Malian city of Timbuktu, proud cattle herder Kidane (Ibrahim Ahmed dit Pino) lives quietly in the dunes with his wife Satima (Toulou Kiki), daughter Toya (Layla Walet Mohamed) and Issan (Mehdi A.G. Mohamed), their 12-year-old shepherd. Their daily existence may be no different from the way their ancestors lived centuries earlier. But in town, the people are suffering, powerless and defenseless, from the reign of terror imposed by the jihadist militants who have taken over the city determined to control the faith and lives of all its inhabitants.

Music, laughter, cigarettes, even soccer have been banned. Women and girls are particular targets of the religious fundamentalists, with whippings a common punishment for such infractions as singing or simply being in the same room as a man. Every day, the new improvised courts issue absurd and tragic sentences. Kidane and his family have been spared the frightening chaos that prevails in Timbuktu, but suddenly their destiny changes and Kidane must face the new incomprehensible rules of the foreign occupiers. Extras include interview and trailer.

Thrashin’ 

Olive Films / Released 6/23/15

L.A.’s rival skateboarders – the laid back Ramp Locals and the punk rock Daggers – go to war for skateboard supremacy in the action-packed drama Thrashin’. No sooner has he arrived in Los Angeles to compete in a downhill skating competition, Corey Webster (Josh Brolin, No Country For Old Men, The Goonies) finds himself falling for Chrissy (Pamela Gidley, Liebestraum), a beautiful blonde with close connections to the skating scene. It turns out Chrissy’s brother is Tommy Hook (Robert Rusler, Weird Science), the tough-as-nails leader of The Daggers who has his sights set on the skateboard competition prize. Chrissy’s love for Corey will be tested when her overprotective brother and Corey face off in a deadly skate race. Thrashin’ co-stars Sherilyn Fenn (Twin Peaks, Of Mice and Men), Brooke McCarter (The Lost Boys) and Chuck McCann (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter).

Thing With Two Heads 

Olive Films / Released 6/23/15

Are two heads better than one? Despite his deteriorating health, incredibly rich and deeply racist brain surgeon Maxwell Kirshner (Ray Milland, The Lost Weekend) plans to be around for a very long time. What better way to achieve his goal than to transplant his still cognitive noggin onto the body of a healthy human being? Having performed similar experimental surgeries on animals, Maxwell convinces his colleagues to perform the groundbreaking and unsanctioned medical procedure on him – the first successful head-graft. With his body in rapid decline, Maxwell’s head is transplanted onto the first available body. And that would be death row inmate Jack Moss (Rosey Grier, Skyjacked, Timber Tramps). Did we forget to mention that Jack Moss is black? The Thing With Two Heads, directed by Lee Frost (The Black Gestapo, Private Obsession), from a screenplay by Lee Frost, Wes Bishop and James Gordon White, co-stars Don Marshall (Uptown Saturday Night, Terminal Island), Roger Perry (Count Yorga, Vampire), William Smith (Conan the Barbarian, The Outsiders) and Jerry Butler (A Bronx Tale, La Bamba).

Fled 

Olive Films / Released 6/23/15

Laurence Fishburne and Stephen Baldwin are convicts on the run in Fled. Handcuffed together on work detail, prisoners Charles Piper (Fishburne, The Matrix) and Mark Dodge (Baldwin, The Usual Suspects) flee the scene of a massacre by a fellow inmate who has single-handedly eliminated half of the prison guards. In no time the Attorney General’s office, with a keen interest in the escaped Dodge, assigns a U.S. Marshal (Robert John Burke, 2 Guns) to track down the prisoners. Dodge, as it turns out, holds a key piece of evidence on a disc which, if discovered, could bring down some very powerful people. All is not as it seems in the action- packed Fled, where double-crosses, dual identities, corrupt officials and a myriad of twists and turns abound.

In a film that pays homage to The Defiant Ones and Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, director Kevin Hooks (Passenger 57), working from a screenplay by Preston A. Whitemore II, brings together a talented cast that includes Will Patton (No Way Out, TV’s Falling Skies), Salma Hayek (Frida, Bandidas), David Dukes (Date With An Angel) and Michael Nadar (The Trip, TV’s Dynasty).

Johnny Be Good 

Olive Films / Released 6/23/15

Scrawny and short, high school quarterback Johnny Walker (Anthony Michael Hall, Sixteen Candles) is America’s most unlikely football prospect. Johnny finds himself in the enviable position of being courted by the country’s top football recruiters. However, he’s torn between waiting for a top offer with big bucks, egged on by his best friend Leo (Robert Downey, Jr., Iron Man), or joining his girlfriend Georgia (Uma Thurman, Kill Bill) at a college where he can pursue a well-rounded education. The temptation for a big payday coupled with lavish gifts and promises of fame & fortune are just a few of the roadblocks he’ll navigate in this comedy with heart, Johnny Be Good.

Directed by Bud Smith from a screenplay written by Steve Zacharias, Jeff Buhai and David Obst, the supporting cast includes Paul Gleason (The Breakfast Club), Jennifer Tilly (Bullets Over Broadway, Bound), Seymour Cassel (Minnie and Moskowitz, Valentino) and cameos by famed sportscaster Howard Cossell and football quarterback Jim McMahon.

Soul Plane: Collector’s Edition

Olive Films / Released 6/23/15

Forget the train and get on the plane … the Soul Plane. With a $100 million dollar settlement in his pocket from an airline that, among other things, lost his dog mid-flight, Nashawn Wade (Kevin Hart, Ride Along, Get Hard) decides to start his own airline that specifically caters to African-Americans and hip-hop artists. You’ll be in for the flight of your life with a crew that includes an acrophobic captain (Snoop Dogg, This Is The End); an overly aggressive security guard (Mo’Nique, Precious); plus a passenger (Method Man, The Fast and The Furious) who sets up a mini-casino/strip club on the plane. Directed by Jessy Terrero (Gun, Freelancers) and written by Bo Zenga and Chuck Wilson, Soul Plane co-stars D.L. Hughley (The Original Kings of Comedy), Loni Love (Paul Bart: Mall Cop 2), Missi Pyle (Gone Girl), Terry Crews (Bridesmaids), Gary Anthony Williams (Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle), John Witherspoon (Bulworth), and Dwayne Adway (Into The Blue). Includes 2 cuts of the film and extras include commentary, featurettes, outtakes, and deleted scenes.

Mean Season

Olive Films / Released 6/23/15

Mean / mēn / Sea·son ˈsēzən/: When inclement conditions with unpredictable and severe storms pummel the coastal areas; the pattern of weather that occurs in Florida during the late summer months. Nearing burn out, the career of Miami reporter Malcolm Anderson (Kurt Russell, Escape From New York) is rejuvenated after an article detailing the unsolved murder of a local teen brings him notoriety as well as an unexpected and unwanted fan: a man who claims he’s the murderer.

Striking an uneasy collaboration with the killer known as the “Numbers Murderer” (Richard Jordan, Interiors, A Flash of Green), Malcolm is provided with deadly details in exchange for ongoing stories. The unorthodox collaboration soon takes a surprising twist when the murderer turns his attention to Malcolm’s girlfriend Christine (Muriel Hemmingway, Manhattan). Director Phillip Borsos’ nail-biting thriller The Mean Season, from a screenplay by Leon Piedmont based on the novel In The Heat of the Summer by John Katzenbach, co-stars Andy Garcia (Ocean’s Eleven, The Untouchables), Richard Masur (Risky Business, The Thing), Joe Pantoliano (Bound, TV’s The Sopranos) and Richard Bradford (Night Game).

The Island of Dr. Moreau

Kino Lorber / Released 6/23/15

Animals become monsters – and a man becomes part animal – Burt Lancaster and Michael York  co-star in this sci-fi shocker based on a novel by the great H.G. Wells. On a tropical Pacific island, the mad Dr. Moreau (Lancaster) has set out to fool Mother Nature, conducting nightmarish genetic experiments that have resulted in Lionmen, Tigermen, Bearmen and other marauding monstrosities. But when a storm at sea washes shipwreck survivor Braddock (York) ashore, the sinister surgeon devises a diabolical plan to dispose of his meddling and uninvited guest. Partially transformed into one of Moreau’s monstrosities, Braddock must escape from this tropical hell before the mad surgeon can finish the job… of bringing out the best in him! Two of the film’s best features are wonderful direction by Don Taylor (Damien: Omen II) and a galaxy of mutant monsters created by some of the make-up legends behind Planet of the Apes. The stellar supporting cast includes Nigel Davenport, Richard Basehart and the beautiful Barbara Carrera. Extras include deleted finale image and trailer.

Needful Things 

Kino Lorber / Released 6/23/15

Welcome to Castle Rock, Maine, a lovely place to live… if you don’t mind selling your soul! Acting greats Ed Harris and Max Von Sydow head an exceptional cast that includes Bonnie Bedelia, J. T. Walsh and Amanda Plummer – in this supernatural thriller that’s dark, haunting and a hell of a good scare. Sheriff Alan Pangborn (Harris) has a devil of a problem: Suddenly all the residents of his sleep little town are dying… to kill each other. But at least business is still booming, especially at a new antique store. The shop’s mysterious owner (Von Sydow) has something for everyone, and his prices are always reasonable: just one small favor… eternal damnation! Stylishly directed by Fraser C. Heston with a screenplay by W.D. Richter based on the book by Stephen King. Extras include commentary.

Cops and Robbers

Kino Lorber / Released 6/23/15

Pandemonium and hilarity break loose when two rogue New York City cops decide to jump fence and join the ranks of crooks. This sharp-edged satire is a funny, exciting and exceptionally intelligent caper movie loaded with enough twists to keep you guessing to its thrilling end! Disillusioned with life on the force. Cliff Gorman (The Boys in the Band) and Joseph Bologna (My Favorite Year) star as two of New York’s finest decide to put their badges to use… to get into a Wall Street brokerage so they can leave with $10 million in untraceable bonds! But the plan goes awry when their deal to cash in the bonds with a local Mafioso goes sour. Now wanted on both sides of the law, the bumbling cops find themselves in a race to get out of Manhattan with their loot… and their lives! Stellar direction by Aram Avakian (End of the Road) and featuring a hilarious screenplay by Donald E. Westlake (Bank Shot) and based on his own novel. Extras include interview with Joseph Bologna

Harry in Your Pocket

Kino Lorber / Released 6/23/15

James Coburn, Michael Sarrazin, Trish Van Devere and a scene-stealing Walter Pidgeon (Man Hunt) play a highly professional team of pickpockets roaming through varying cityscapes in the U.S. and Canada, preying upon the innocent with disturbing charm. This engaging crime drama with an undercurrent of subtle humor was beautifully shot by the great Fred J. Koenekamp (Papillon) and features a memorable score by legendary composer Lalo Schifrin (Bullitt). Harry in Your Pocket was the sole theatrical film for television writer, director and producer Bruce Geller who created the classic TV shows Mission: Impossible and Mannix. Extras include trailer.

Sugar Hill

Kino Lorber / Released 6/23/15

Pray you never cross a woman out for revenge and her squad of zombie hitmen! When a black nightclub entrepreneur gets taken out by the mob, his girlfriend, “Sugar” Hill (Marki Bey), calls upon the voodoo high priest Baron Samedi to summon up the undead to carry out an unholy plan for revenge. Packed with horror, action, and loads of 70s funk, Sugar Hill will slay you! Also starring Robert Quarry (Madhouse). Extras include commentary and cast & crew interviews.

Bank Shot 

Kino Lorber / Released 6/23/15

Criminal masterminds? Don’t bank on it. George C. Scott (Patton) stars in this hilarious film that brims with wonderful and imaginative silliness. Fresh from his recent jailbreak, criminal mastermind Walter Ballantine (Scott) is already plotting his next bank heist. And this time he’s thinking big-he’s not just taking the loot; he’s stealing the whole bank! Beset by a hapless crew, a lusty backer and an overzealous prison warden, Ballantine soon discovers that when your getaway vehicle is the bank itself, it pays to be America’s most driven criminal. Gower Champion (My Six Loves) directs a comical cast of first-rate actors that includes Sorrell Booke (TV’s The Dukes of Hazzard), Clifton James (Juggernaut), Bob Balaban (2010), Frank McRae (48 Hrs.), Don Calfa (Foul Play) and the lovely Joanna Cassidy (The Package) in this hilarious comedy based on a Donald E. Westlake novel (“Cops and Robbers”).

Tom and Jerry: Spy Quest

Warner Bros. / Released 6/23/15

It’s just another day at the beach for the dueling Tom and Jerry…that is until they bump into world-class junior spies Jonny Quest, Hadji and their canine companion Bandit. When longtime Quest family nemesis Dr. Zin discovers that Jonny’s father, Dr. Benton Quest, has a device to solve the world’s energy problems, he sends his evil cat army to steal it and capture him and his bodyguard, Race Bannon. Jonny and his new furry friends set out on an action-packed quest to find his father and save the world from the malicious Dr. Zin. Extras include bonus cartoon episodes.

Last Word: This should not work. Mixing anthropomorphic characters like Tom and Jerry with more “realistic” humans like Jonny Quest and the mixing of slapstick with action/adventure seems like a random pitch at a staff meeting. But, not only does it work, but does so incredibly well. It’s nice to see that Hanna Barbera is now so willing to crossover characters, but the script by Jim Krieg manages to make everything flow. The result is an extremely entertaining crossover that had me smiling the entire time. A must have for Hanna Barbera fans who spent their Saturday mornings glued to the television. Highly recommended.

Mythbusters: Collection 12

Discovery Channel / Released 6/23/15

Fill three discs with twelve episodes of crazy science mayhem. Dump the two hosts, Adam and Jamie, on a deserted island, with nothing but duct tape to survive. Mix in a fire-and-ice showdown, complete with a homemade flamethrower. Add an eyebrow-raising Battle of the Sexes. Test some wacky theories, like Will super-gluing yourself to the seat work better than a seatbelt? And Can bubble-wrap really break a multistory fall? Throw in a rocket-powered ejector seat, some knives, guns, and swords, and you’ve got the twelfth season of Mythbusters. Strap on your crash helmet for this mind-blowing concoction from your favorite mythbusting team.

Survivor

Alchemy / Released 6/23/15

After being mysteriously framed for a terrorist bombing, a Foreign Service Officer (Milla Jovovich) must evade government capture and death by a ruthless assassin (Pierce Brosnan) in order to stop the real perpetrators’ master-and much deadlier-plan. Survivor is directed by James McTeigue and also stars Dylan McDermott, Angela Bassett and Robert Forster. Extras include making of and deleted scenes.

Song One

Cingedigm / Released 6/23/15

Oscar winner Anne Hathaway stars as Franny in Song One, a romantic drama set against the backdrop of Brooklyn s vibrant modern-folk music scene. After Franny’s musician brother Henry (Ben Rosenfield, Boardwalk Empire) is injured and hospitalized in a coma following a car accident, Franny returns home after a long estrangement and begins to use his notebook as a guide to how his life has evolved in her absence. Franny seeks out the musicians and artists Henry loved, in the course of her journey meeting James Forester (Johnny Flynn), his musical idol, whose success and fame belie a shy and private man. As a strong romantic connection develops between Franny and James, the question becomes if love can bloom even under the most adverse circumstances. The film, produced by Jonathan Demme, also stars Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen (The Help) and features original music composed by Jenny Lewis and Jonathan Rice, and live performances from Sharon Van Etten, The Felice Brothers, Dan Deacon, Paul Whitty, Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens, Cass Dillon, Elizabeth Ziman and Lola Kirke.Extras include featurette, deleted scenes and trailer.

That Show With Joan Rivers Box Set

Topics Film Chest / Released 6/23/15

Long before Fashion Police and more than two decades before The Joan Rivers Show of the early ’90s, Rivers hosted That Show, her first daytime talk show which aired from 1968-69, weekdays on NBC.

Taped in New York City and produced by the young working mother and her husband, Edgar, each half-hour program included an opening monologue by Rivers before featuring a top celebrity as well as an “expert” who would tackle the day’s topic. In Joan’s now-beloved brash, staccato style, the guests and the subject were frequently at odds … and the results were hilarious.

Celeb guests featured in this four-disc collector’s set include Johnny Carson, Steve Lawrence, Ed Sullivan, Florence Henderson, Barbara Walters, Soupy Sales, Lily Tomlin, Rita Moreno, James Earl Jones, and Vivian Vance.

Get Hard 

Warner Bros. / Released 6/30/15

When millionaire hedge fund manager James (Will Ferrell) is nailed for fraud and bound for a stretch in San Quentin, the judge gives him 30 days to get his affairs in order. Desperate, he turns to Darnell (Kevin Hart) to prep him for a life behind bars. But despite James’ one-percenter assumptions, Darnell is a hard-working small business owner who has never received a parking ticket, let alone been to prison.

Together, the two men do whatever it takes for James to “get hard” and, in the process, discover how wrong they were about a lot of things – including each other. Extras include unrated cut, line-o-ramas, featurettes, deleted and extended scenes and gag reel.

Last Word: You’d have a hard time convincing a jury that Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart are actually funny.  Get Hard, is not only a lazy comedy, but it’s stereotypical schtick for both comedians and frankly beneath both of them.  In particular it’s another miss for both actors who really need to be more selective with their choices.  Even worse than not being funny, the film is derivative of other movies, who manage to accomplish this much better.  The film is filled with sexist, homophobic and prison gags that serve no other purpose than to remind us that prison rape is hysterical. Ferrell’s continually rotated screen personas of man-child and smug and clueless alpha male are both on display and neither is particularly entertaining at this point.  Hart’s regular persona of an African American male with little real insight in the urban community.  Supporting roles by Tip ‘T.I.’ Harris Alison Brie,  Craig T. Nelson, Jay Pharoah and James Moses Black do little to support or elevate this disappointing effort.

Last Knights

Lionsgate/ Released 6/30/15

Academy Award Nominee Clive Owen (2004, Best Performance by an Actor in Supporting Role, Closer) delivers an electrifying performance as a fallen warrior who rises against a corrupt and sadistic ruler to avenge his dishonored master, Academy Award winner Morgan Freeman (2004, Best Performance by an Actor in Supporting Role, Million Dollar Baby), in this epic, sword-clashing adventure of loyalty, honor, and vengeance. Extras include featurettes, interviews and trailers.

The Decline Of Western Civilization Collection

Shout! Factory / Released 6/30/15

Penelope Spheeris’ The Decline Of Western Civilization was perceived as shocking and outrageous at the time of its original release in 1981 and its two follow-up films were no less extraordinary and revealing. Today, museums and educational institutions around the world present them as a historically significant works of art. Featuring some of the most influential and innovative musicians and groups of all time – Germs, Black Flag, X, Fear, Circle Jerks, Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne, these riveting, unflinching and hard-core films adeptly captured the spirit of a major cultural phenomenon.

Now for the first time, all three films are available in one deluxe box set. And while all three films have been restored in high definition, they are in keeping with the feel of the rebellious times in which they were shot. Here’s an immersive tour of in-your-face filmmaking and music.  Extras include commentary by Dave Grohl, two interviews with Penelope Spheeris, never before seen footage, performances and interviews, trailers and 40 page booklet featuring Domenic Priore’s rare stills and text.

Includes:

The Decline of Western Civilization
Their message is brutally clear: Destroy the old and make way for the new. This is the punk’s violent revolution; Their lawless world.

This is The Decline of Western Civilization: A riveting, unflinching account of the punk rock phenomenon and its alienated, reactionary subculture. This fierce, bleak portrait documents L.A.’s infamous punk bands as they perform on stage and discuss their lives, music and philosophy off stage. Through interviews with punk fans, music critics and club owners, it is a crucial, compelling statement of the most significant and influential youth movementand musical transformation of the past 3 decades. It is perhaps a prophetic glimpse of the forces that will inherit our world…. Witness The Decline. The music of X, Circle Jerks, Fear and Black Flag are featured.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years
Interviews with some of the music industry’s hardest rockers, like Aerosmith, Kiss, Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne. Performances by Faster Pussycat, Lizzy Borden, London, Odin and Megadeth.

In the mid 80’s a new scene took over the Los Angeles nightlife–Heavy Metal. Loud, rude, sexy, sexist and anti-authoritarian. Penelope Spheeris’ The Metal Years takes an in-depth look at rabid fans, desperate groupies, wanna-be rock stars that go so far as to threaten suicide if they don’t “make it.” The film also portrays the harsh reality of the music business, where everyone’s dream to become a star can’t possibly come true. It’s a real life “Spinal Tap” that makes us look back and ask, “What the hell were we doing?”

The Decline of Western Civilization Part III
Decline III is an unflinching look into the lives of the hardcore fans of punk rock in Los Angeles, 20 years later. Filmed over the course of 13 months , this 90 minute piece stands as the director’s strongest work to date.

Whereas the first installment of the trilogy concerned itself with the birth of a new music genre, Decline III focuses on the lifestyles and backgrounds of the fans. Many of them are homeless or occupy squats (abandoned buildings) as their living quarters. They simultaneously evoke emotions of deep empathy and severe distain, as they present a subculture that is impossible to ignore. Decline III delves into the underside of this subculture to indicate that Johnny Rotten’s “No Future” reference has taken on a new meaning.

The film is a strange coupling of comedy and tragedy, combining interviews with faithful fans, thought provoking accounts from those who have an intimate knowledge of the scene and live performances by underground bands: Final Conflict, Litmus Green, Naked Aggression, and The Resistance. Keith Morris (Circle Jerks), Rick Wilder (Mau Maus), and Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers) compare the original late Seventies movement to present day punk rock. Unforgettable characters such as Why-Me?, Hamburger, Troll, Eyeball and Squid paint a seldom seen picture of life and death on the back streets of Hollywood.

The Gunman 

Universal / Released 6/30/15

From the director of Taken comes The Gunman, a pulse-pounding action thriller starring two-time Academy Award winner Sean Penn. It’s been eight years since Jim Terrier (Penn) worked as a black ops assassin and now someone from his old organization wants him dead. Pursued across Africa and Europe by elite hit men, Terrier is dragged back into his dangerous past as he engages in a relentless cat-and-mouse game to take out the man who betrayed him. Idris Elba, Ray Winstone, Mark Rylance and Oscar winner Javier Bardem costar. Extras include trailers.

While We’re Young 

Lionsgate/ Released 6/30/15

  

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts shine in this fresh and insightful comedy from filmmaker Noah Baumbach. After Josh (Stiller) and his wife Cornelia (Watts) meet a free-spirited twenty-something couple (Adam Driver and Amanda Seyfried), they adopt a new lifestyle complete with hip-hop dance classes and mind-expanding parties. But with each hilarious attempt to act young, Josh and Cornelia start to appreciate the rewards of growing old together. Extras include 6 behind the scenes vignettes.

Last Word: I initially thought While We’re Young was a movie ripe with potential—the cast and trailer are quite seductive, but I wasn’t thrilled by its digression into a satirical doof-fest of young versus old couples. It’s funny for sure— Noah Baumbach’s script is witty and seems promising and smart. The timing and chemistry of the actors is spot on, however, there are too many storylines that don’t feel complete. And the central theme of authenticity is lost as it becomes an overly dramatized compilation of hyperbolic awkward moments.

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts play Josh and Cornelia—a 40ish year old couple, married, content, happy enough, but bored. They are revitalized when befriended by intensely intense hipsters, Jamie (Adam Driver) and Darby (Amanda Seyfried). A beautifully shot film, While We’re Young is wistful and bright. Baumbach keeps scenes in perfect sync with the timeless soundtrack.

He addresses all the expected stereotypes of hipsters and old people. The wardrobes are dapper and comedic – the hats donned by Driver and Stiller are just priceless. Stiller buys hipster glasses. Watts joins a hip-hop class. They snub their baby-obsessed friends and have way better sex. Darby makes weird ice cream. Jamie is attached to his Go-Pro. They all listen to old records, VHS’s, and admire the oddities of their new friendship. But while the skin-tight hipster jeans and dorky fedora are funny, their stereotypical purpose becomes almost obnoxious as the film devolves into an overly dramatic compilation of incomplete storylines.

The characters become caricatures. The jokes about young people being enlightened through their retro-lifestyle of vinyl and VHS’s, becomes more satirical than touching. Evil young hipster, immature old man, conflicted older woman, angry young lady. And the increased focus on the blatancy of mid-life crises is jarring and unnatural.  But perhaps Baumbach’s portrayal of these relationships is fitting. Maybe I was supposed to feel uncomfortable. After all, the main thematic element of While We’re Young, involves the issue of what the “correct” perception of reality really is. The characters are documentarians but are actually quite dishonest and deceptive to themselves and each other.

While Jamie and Darby appear carefree and insightful, they are self-centered and a bit mean—a fair depiction of many young people by Baumbach, I give him that. But the dichotomy between Jamie’s greedy motivation alongside the frantic tantrums of Josh is incredibly off-putting. The same goes for Darby and Cornelia – they become depressed, hurt, and secretive. It’s a fairly sharp turn during the movie, rendering the second half rather boring and trite. If Baumbach had softened down that aspect, or at least eased in to the shift in tone, I think I would have been far more satisfied.

When We’re Young also features too many storylines and character motivations that are never resolved. Is the motivating factor for the new found friendship between couples based on the fact that Stiller and Watts are being pressured to have children? Is it because they feel old and bored? Is it because they are insecure with their jobs and themselves and are trying to replace their mid-life crises with the naiveté of fleeting youth? How about a young man wanting to be the protégé of an old man? Maybe all. But it was too much for me.  And the lack of authenticity became annoyingly uncomfortable. And maybe that was Baumbach’s point – shit is just not very genuine these days. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Danny Collins 

Universal Studios/ Released 6/30/15

Al Pacino stars as aging 1970s rocker Danny Collins, who can’t give up his hard-living ways. But when his manager (Christopher Plummer) uncovers a 40 year-old undelivered letter written to him by John Lennon, he decides to change course and embarks on a heartfelt journey to rediscover his family, find true love and begin a second act. Extras include featurettes and album cover gallery.

Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter 

Starz/Anchor Bay/ Released 6/30/15

From indie film mavericks David & Nathan Zellner (Kid-Thing, Goliath) comes the Sundance sensation inspired by a shocking ‘true’ story: Academy Award nominee Rinko Kikuchi (Babel, Pacific Rim) is Kumiko, a sad and lonely Tokyo office assistant who finds a battered VHS tape of a popular film she’s mistaken for a documentary, becomes convinced that the movie’s buried suitcase of cash is real. But when Kumiko heads to frozen North Dakota to locate her fortune, she’ll discover that the line between reality and obsession may be the most elusive treasure of all. Extras include commentary and deleted & alternate scenes.

Last Word: The “true story” of Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter is based on is that of Takako Konishi, a 28 year old Japanese office worker who was found dead in a field outside Detroit Lakes, Minnesota in 2001.

Originally the media had fabricated a story in which Konishi had died while trying to locate the money that Steve Buscemi’s character had buried in the snow in the Coen Brothers fictitious 1996 crime film, Fargo. The actual “true story” was that Konishi had come to Minnesota to visit an ex-lover who was a  married businessman, but when her feelings were not returned by him, she (Konishi) committed suicide by overdosing on alcohol and sedatives. This was confirmed when a suicide note that she had written to her parents was discovered in Bismarck. Her actual story was smartly detailed in the 2003 documentary, This Is A True Story, directed by Paul Berczeller.

David Zellner’s new film, Kumiko, The Treasure Hunter, is inspired more by the myth, than the actual events surrounding the death of Konishi.

What make this film successful are the melancholic atmosphere and the performance by Rinko Kikuchi in the titular role, based on the facts that are extracted about Konishi’s sad life while still in Japan. Kumiko is a Tokyo office worker who barely speaks during much of the beginning of the film. She saunters around performing the egregious tasks of her office job with a disheveled appearance, complete with unkempt hair, in an almost catatonic state.

Kumiko’s apartment is even a worse state and she wanders that space draped in a blanket, like a ghostly apparition until she settles down and obsessively watches the object she has discovered at the end of a dreamlike treasure hunt, a waterlogged VHS copy of the aforementioned Coen Brothers film, Fargo.

Kumiko keys in on the scene where Buscemi’s character Carl Showalter, face bloodied, buries the ill-
gotten loots from his botched kidnapping. It is clear that Kumiko’s time where she currently resides is without any meaning and perhaps this scene is as good a launching point as any to give purpose to her clearly purposeless life. Following this moment, where a few strange occurrences that include a bank fraud and the making of a treasure map, Kumiko is off to Minnesota to her treasure, real or not.

We are left to decide for most of the film as to what the mental state is of Kumiko and the decisions that she is about to make and this is where Kukuchi really shines as she carries a great deal of character through small expressions and gestures. Though she acquires a band of not too exaggerated Midwesterners to join her in her hunt, director Zellner cleverly allows the plot to unfold through Kumiko and the unforgiving malaise that her character creates in this invasion of the quiet Japanese aesthetic into the usually obtuse world of a Coen Brothers narrative that oddly borrows from both a fictitious created world and the selected pieces of a real life person who could not handle the reality of her own tragic existence.

Despite its overall dour tone and the cringingly sad potential of making a mockery out of the death of a truly sad human existence, Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter is a beautifully realized film that is eminently watchable for the one small belief that many hold onto to that a dream, imagined or not, might actually rectify a lifetime of poor decisions. (– Generoso Fierro)

I Am Evel Knievel 

Image Entertainment/ Released 6/30/15

Evel. Not a name that you forget. Not a man that you forget. Hell, he wasn’t a man, he was a daredevil. Evel was the original daredevil. He left behind a twisted wreck of a life and a story that can only be told at full speed, straight up, and with no flowery prose. We will look back, and we will look inside. With a cast that includes those who were there, those who wanted to be Evel, and those who became who they are today because of one man who paved the way for those that risk it all. Interviews include Matthew McConaughey, Michelle Rodriguez, Kid Rock, Guy Fieri, Robbie Maddison, and a host of family, friends, and collaborators.

This is the inside story of the one who gave birth to the culture of extreme. We will reveal what it was like to chase the dream alongside the greatest daredevil who ever lived. Combined with original exclusive interviews, I Am Evel Knievel will weave in archival footage of this bigger than life character to tell Knievel’s incredible story, with footage of Evel’s greatest jumps from Snake River Canyon to Caesars Palace. We will travel America to revisit the sites of Evel’s greatest glory, and to meet the most important people in Evel’s life, from small town to big city. From the site of Evel’s most infamous jump in Idaho’s Snake River Canyon to Montana’s Butte Trailer Park where Evel raised his family while scraping together a living. From the world’s most renowned stadiums to dusty parking lots where Evel Knievel’s death defying feats astonished the world, and left the skid marks of hard living on all those who ventured forth with him. Extras include featurettes.

No Good Deed 

Mill Creek / Released 6/30/15

Samuel L. Jackson, Milla Jovovich, Stellan Skarsgard, and Doug Hutchinson star in this pulse-pounding crime thriller based on a work by Dashiell Hammett and directed by the acclaimed Oscar nominee Rob Rafelson (Five Easy Pieces, Blood and Wine).

A missing persons investigation escalates into a deadly game of cat and mouse when detective Jack (Jackson) is captured and held hostage by a gang of brutal thieves in the process of an elaborate bank robbery. Cruel mastermind Tyrone (Skarsgard), manipulative girlfriend Erin (Jovovich), and deranged henchman Hoop (Hutchinson) are locked in a dangerous web of deceit, double-cross and romantic intrigue, making Jack a pawn in the lethal high stakes plot. Against all odds, Erin and Jack find themselves erotically drawn to each other, igniting a volatile love triangle that turns deadly as the body count rises. Deception is the rule in this action-packed, pitch-black thriller that will hold you in suspense until the final frame.

The Town That Dreaded Sundown

Image Entertainment/ Released 7/7/15/ Best Buy Exclusive

65 years after a series of brutal slayings terrorized the small town of Texarkana, the “Moonlight Murders” suddenly begin again. While on a trip to Lovers’ Lane, 17-year-old Jami (Addison Timlin) watches as her date is brutally slain by a masked serial killer. Barely escaping with her life, she becomes obsessed with finding the man referred to as “The Phantom.” As the body count climbs and the carnage comes closer, Jami delves deeper into the mystery, following clues that point her toward the killer’s true identity. Starring Anthony Anderson, Gary Cole, Edward Herrman, Joshua Leonard, Denis O’Hare, Travis Tope and Veronica Cartwright, The Town That Dreaded Sundown puts Texarkana back on the map for all the wrong reasons. Extras include trailer.

Woman in Gold

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 7/7/15

Woman In Gold is the remarkable true story of one woman’s journey to reclaim her heritage and seek justice for what happened to her family. Sixty years after she fled Vienna during World War II, an elderly Jewish woman, Maria Altmann (Helen Mirren), starts her journey to retrieve family possessions seized by the Nazis, among them Klimt’s famous painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I. Together with her inexperienced but plucky young lawyer Randy Schoenberg (Ryan Reynolds), she embarks upon a major battle which takes them all the way to the heart of the Austrian establishment and the U.S. Supreme Court, and forces her to confront difficult truths about the past along the way.  Extras include making of and commentary.

Maggie

Lionsgate / Released 7/7/15

As the nation reels from a lethal virus that turns its victims into zombies, Wade’s (Arnold Schwarzenegger) daughter Maggie (Abigail Breslin) has been infected. Now, as Maggie’s condition worsens, Wade will stop at nothing to protect her from the authorities seeking to kill her to eradicate the virus. Extras include commentary, making of, deleted scene and interviews.

Slow West

Lionsgate / Released 7/7/15

In search of his fugitive girlfriend and her father, 16-year-old Jay (Kodi Smit-McPhee) heads west across the 19th-century American wilderness. Along the way, Jay meets Silas (Michael Fassbender), a mysterious traveler who protects him from the savage and lawless elements. But is Silas really watching out for Jay…or is he tied to the band of desperados tracking them? Every step west brings Jay closer to the truth—leading to an epic, bullet-laced showdown in this quintessential Western. Extras include featurette and deleted scene.

Robot Jox

Shout! Factory / Released 7/7/15

Warfare, advanced and upgraded!  From the mind of cult favorite director Stuart Gordon (Re-Animator, From Beyond) comes Robot Jox, a thrilling sci-fi adventure. In a future world where war has been outlawed, international disputes are settled in a single winner-takes-all fight between two of the ultimate killing machines. Massive, menacing and made-to-destroy, these human-piloted combat ‘bots square off to determine global supremacy. But when tragedy strikes during a crucial battle and treacherous espionage raises the stakes, will veteran robowarrior Achilles walk away from the game for good… or take his revenge against his rival pilot, the homicidal Alexander?

Starring Gary Graham, Paul Koslo and Anne-Marie Johnson, this riveting (riveted?) sci-fi actioner will crush your burning desire for giant robot-on-robot action.  Extras include commentary, interviews, behind the scenes footage, galleries, trailers.

Pit Stop

Code Red / Released 7/7/15

Roger Corman presents a classic drive-in favorite directed by Jack Hill (Switchblade Sisters)! This is a tense tale set against the backdrop of the auto-racing world. Brian Donlevy (Beau Geste) stars as a slick promoter who helps to bring forth the new “Figure 8” style of racing which provides the latest thrills that can both propel the hottest drivers into the spotlight and just as quickly take it away. Using stunningly realistic footage shot on actual raceways, Pit Stop gives you the intense heat,the fiery competition, and the unavoidable consequences in this dangerous sport! Pit Stop features long-time Hill acting favorite Sid Haig (Spider Baby) and an early big-screen role for a young woman named Ellen McRae, later to be known as the Academy Award winning Ellen Burstyn of Martin Scorsese’s Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Includes interviews and trivia.

Kill Me Three Times

Magnolia / Released 7/7/15

A mercurial assassin (Simon Pegg) discovers he isn’t the only person trying to kill the siren (Alice Braga) of a sun-drenched surfing town. In this darkly comedic thriller, the hitman finds himself unraveling three tales of mayhem, murder, blackmail and revenge. Extras include commentaries, making of, deleted scene, behind the scenes, storyboards and galleries.

Last Word: Simon Pegg leads the cast of this comic Aussie crime caper as a stylish assassin named Charlie Wolfe who learns that he’s not the only one trying to kill his latest target, Alice (Alice Braga of City of God). In the small coastal town where Wolfe’s been summoned, everyone’s connected: There’s Alice’s abusive husband Jack (Callan Mulvey), his ambitious sister Lucy (Teresa Palmer of Warm Bodies) her meek, gambling-addicted dentist husband Nathan (Sullivan Stapleton of Animal Kingdom), and a more than usually corrupt cop, played with appropriate menace by Bryan Brown.

There’s also Alice’s lover, local garage owner Dylan; He’s played by Luke Hemsworth, who’s yet to make as big a splash as his more famous, hunkier brothers Chris and Liam.  After being hired by Alice’s husband to kill her, Wolfe witnesses Lucy and Nathan shoving her into the trunk of their car. Since Nathan owes a bundle in gambling debts, their plan is to kill Alice – passing her off as Lucy — and collect the insurance money.

Of course, nothing goes according to plan and soon everyone is scrambling for the bag of cash that Alice nicked from her husband’s safe as part of her plan to run off with Dylan. The double-crosses keep coming, as does the body count, as everyone’s carefully laid schemes spin wildly out of control. Palmer makes a convincing femme fatale and Pegg is clearly enjoying himself as an assassin who’s not as good at his job as he thinks. It’s also fun to see an aging Brown, the heroic star of A Town Like Alice and FX,  as a villainous cop.

The criss-crossing plot reminded me of the noir-ish 1995 Nicolas Cage Red Rock West, in which he played a drifter who’s mistaken for an assassin, and immediately warns the wife (Lara Flynn Boyle) he’s been hired to kill that her husband wants her dead.  Although it’s not as enjoyable as Pegg’s films with Edgar Wright, Kill Me Three Times is still a breezy, entertaining 90 minutes. And if you want more murder and mayhem, rent Red Rock West, which is also on iTunes right now. (– Sharon Knolle)

The Brokenwood Mysteries, Series 1

Acorn Media / Released 7/7/15

Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Shepherd (Neill Rea) arrives on assignment in Brokenwood, a small town where memories—and animosities—run deep. He’s an experienced cop with a 1971 “classic” car, a collection of country music cassettes, and an indeterminate number of ex-wives. The new woman in his life is his assistant, Detective Kristin Sims (Fern Sutherland), a by-the-book investigator nearly 20 years younger than her boss’s car, who quickly has to get used to his lone-wolf ways. Filmed amid the beautiful landscape of New Zealand’s North Island, these four feature-length mysteries show that murder can haunt even the most idyllic locations. Extras include interviews and trailers.

Includes episodes:

• Blood and Water: When two fishermen find the body of a local farmer in the river, Detective Inspector Mike Shepherd is sent to the small rural town of Brokenwood to investigate the death. Is this the suicide of a man guilty of his own wife’s murder or is he the victim of foul play? As Mike uncovers a family’s tragedies and secrets he also learns that Brokenwood is a place where shadows lurk just beneath the surface.

• Sour Grapes: With Brokenwood touted for its burgeoning merlot, the annual wine show is a major event. Having bought a 10-acre block with maturing grapes, no one is looking forward to it more than DI Mike Shepherd. But when a guest judge and wine critic is found dead, drowned inside a fermenting vat, the show takes second place to the murder investigation.

• Playing the Lie: A group of erstwhile members of the Brokenwood Golf Club, committee members no less, have gathered for their regular Wednesday morning round. They are playing their approaches to the first green when a zombie-like figure lurches from the early-morning gloom, coming towards them. It takes the golfers a moment or two (apparently) to realise this is actually Adele Stone, the Club owner – her face red and blistering; gasping desperately for breath. Then she falls from sight, into a greenside bunker. By the time the guys get to her, Ms Stone is very much dead. And so Mike and Kristin are called to investigate what appears to be homicide by poisoning.

• Hunting the Stag: Four close friends go hunting in the bush on a stag trip. But the groom-to-be never comes back – he was shot through the head. Initially this would seem to be just another tragic hunting accident amidst picturesque New Zealand bush. The only problem is none of the remaining three friends own up to pulling the trigger that fired the lethal bullet – yet all three had discharged their rifles – with no deer to prove it. The question is – who shot Hayden Renner? Was he mistaken for a real stag or was there something more sinister at play?

Deli Man 

Cohen Media Group / Released 7/7/15

Jewish culture reflects the heart of a vital ethnic history. As that culture continues to shift and adapt alongside mainstream America, delicatessen food – as its name suggests – remains a beloved communal delicacy. In Houston, Texas, third-generation deli man Ziggy Gruber has built arguably the finest delicatessen restaurant in the U.S. His story – augmented by the stories of iconic delis such as Katz’s, 2nd Avenue Deli, Nate ‘n Al, Carnegie, and the Stage – embodies a tradition indelibly linked to its savory, nostalgic foods. Extras include featurettes, interviews and trailer.

Last Word:  Deli Man chronicles more than the life of Ziggy Gruber, a classicly trained chef who became a deli man under his grandfather’e guidance.  It’s the story delicatessen’s and their place in the Jewish culture.  Examining their history and importance in the United States, and their modern struggle, preserving their own recipes and traditions, as that culture changes and deli cutlure declines.  A fantastic documentary that immediately wants you to have a bagel with a schmear and a pickle.

Wild Thing

Olive Films / Released 7/7/15

In this update of the Tarzan story, Kathleen Quinlan (Apollo 13) stars as Jane, a social worker whose attraction to Wild Thing (Robert Knepper, Hitman), a modern day hero who doles out street justice to protect the weak, will place them both in grave peril. Maneuvering through the concrete jungle in search of the drug dealer who killed his parents, Wild Thing will find an extremely dangerous, and equally adept opponent in the villainous Chopper (Robert Davi, License To Kill).

Directed by Max Reid (In The Eye Of The Snake), from a screenplay by John Sayles, Wild Thing co-stars Betty Buckley (Another Woman, Carrie), Maury Chaykin (Harry and Son), Cree Summer (TV’s Bay Coven, Hearts of Fire) and Clark Johnson (S.W.A.T., The Sentinel).

The Pact 2 

IFC / Released 7/7/15

Picking up only a few weeks after the events in the new horror classic The Pact left off, this stunning sequel finds June Abbott (Camilla Luddington, Grey’s Anatomy) plagued by nightmares of murder so awful that they disturb her waking life. Meanwhile, a copycat of the Judas Killer has been terrorizing her neighborhood, and when the FBI agent assigned to the case informs her of the danger, June is horrified to discover that the actions of this new killer mirror the bloody visions she s been having in her sleep. Determined to pursue her own investigation even while her grip on reality weakens, June sets off on a quest that may lead her to the horrifying truth of the Judas Killer’s master plan.  Extras include featurette and trailer.

Elimination Game 

Entertainment One / Released 7/7/15

Disgraced Navy SEAL Rick Tyler (Dominic Purcell) is sentenced to rot in a maximum security military prison until he is offered the opportunity to put his life on the line and win his freedom in a kill or be killed Reality TV show. A one-man force of nature, Tyler will have to eliminate some of the world’s most ruthless killers on live TV to gain his freedom and clear his name. Can he accomplish all of this before game over? Extras include featurette and trailer.

The Road Within 

Well Go USA / Released 7/7/15

Vincent (Robert Sheehan), a young man with Tourette’s Syndrome, just lost his mom. As his symptoms get worse, his dad (Robert Patrick), a frustrated politician, sends him to a behavioral clinic run by an unconventional doctor (Kyra Sedgwick). But Vincent made his mom a promise, and with the help of a rebellious anorexic (Zoë Kravitz) and his withdrawn OCD roommate (Dev Patel), the three embark on a life-changing race to the sea that includes car theft, shoplifting, fights, self-discovery, and maybe finding a new way to live. Extras include interviews and deleted scenes.

For the Emperor

Well Go USA / Released 7/7/15

A disgraced pro baseball player goes to work for a mob-connected loan shark, rising through the ranks of money and power. But when his love interest disappears, he finds himself in a deadly battle of wits against his bloodthirsty mentor. Extras include trailer.

Crimson Cult

Kino Lorber / Released 7/7/15

When his brother disappears, Robert Manning (Mark Eden) pays a visit to the remote country house he was last heard from. While his host Squire Morley (Christopher Lee, The Oblong Box) is welcoming, Manning detects a feeling of menace in the air with the legend of Lavinia (Barbara Steele, Black Sunday), the Black Witch of Greymarsh, hanging over everything. Will the village`s renowned expert on witchcraft, Professor John Marsh (Boris Karloff, Black Sabbath), be able to shed light on the wicked going-ons at The Craxted Lodge? Vernon Sewell (Ghost Ship) directs this nightmarish horror classic based on H.P. Lovecraft’s ‘Dream in the Witch House’.  Extras include commentary, interviews, trailers and a conversation with Christopher Lee.

Deranged

Kino Lorber / Released 7/7/15

The Confessions of a Necrophile! Ezra’s good at making friends… into home furnishings! Based on the terrifying true story of Ed Gein, that inspired Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and The Silence of the Lambs, this hauntingly scary film chronicles the grisly exploits of a rural necrophiliac and murderer! Brace yourself for a classic horror story that’s guaranteed to make you bite your nails… because if you don’t, Ezra will! Screenwriter Alan Ormsby (Cat People) wrote and co-directed this spine-tingling horror film that will make your skin crawl with actor Jeff Gillen (A Christmas Story). Starring Roberts Blossom (Home Alone) as Ezra Cobb.  Extras include interview, commentaries and trailer.

Truck Turner

Kino Lorber / Released 7/7/15

The great Isaac Hayes (I’m Gonna Git You Sucka) stars in this powerful, pull-out-the-stops crime thriller from director Jonathan Kaplan (White Line Fever). It’s a gritty, action-packed tale of the streets, pulsating with ultra-smooth soul, high-octane energy and nonstop suspense. Truck Turner (Hayes) is a football star-turned-bounty hunter who’s tracking a sadistic pimp on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Armed with his brute strength and ace cool partner, Truck closes in on his mark. But a tragic accident soon changes all the rules, and suddenly the hunter finds himself being hunted by the city’s deadliest hired killers! Truck strikes back in a series of wild car chases, shootouts and bone-crunching fistfights. The stellar supporting cast includes Yaphet Kotto (Across 110th Street), Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura of Star Trek), Dick Miller (Gremlins) and Scatman Crothers (The Shining). Original songs and music score by Isaac Hayes. Extras include commentary, “Trailers From Hell” with Ernest Dickerson, Q & A, trailer and radio spot.

Report to the Commissioner 

Kino Lorber / Released 7/7/15

This taut, action-loaded thriller set in New York City stars Michael Moriarty as a naive rookie cop whose youthful idealism thrusts him into an interdepartmental power play leading to the death of another young officer, who’s deep undercover work has led her to move in with a handsome drug czar (Tony King). Yaphet Kotto is unforgettable as “Crunch” Blackstone, Moriarty’s hardboiled partner. Cult filmmaker Milton Katselas (When You Comin’ Back, Red Ryder?) directed this realistic police drama, shot on location in the gritty streets of 1970s Manhattan and featuring an incredible cast of stars and future stars that includes Susan Blakely, Hector Elizondo, William Devane, Richard Gere, Vic Tayback and Bob Balaban. Extras include trailer.

Roller Boogie

Olive Films / Released 7/7/15

Roller Boogie is the film that asks: can a classical flautist and a roller skating dude find true love and happiness in the California sun while boogying on skates to 70’s disco tunes? Roller Boogie stars Linda Blair (The Exorcist) as Terry Barkley, a genius flautist (and Juilliard hopeful) and Jim Bray (real life roller skating phenomenon) as Bobby James, a maniac on skates with all the right moves and his sights set on becoming an Olympic Roller Skater.

Starting with a traditional cinematic “meet cute” scene (Bobby saves Terry from a skating accident at the local roller rink), Roller Boogie is kicked into high gear when a ruthless mobster plans to buy Jammers, the local roller rink, for nefarious reasons. Will Terry give up on her dreams of playing classical flute at Juilliard to team up with Bobby and enter the Jammer’s roller disco contest? Will Bobby see his Olympic skating dreams come true? Will the mobster really buy Jammers? Where’s the parental supervision?

For the answers to these and other burning questions watch Roller Boogie.

Roller Boogie, with its amazing choreography and on-the-skate-floor acrobatics, is directed by Mark L. Lester (Class of 1984), from a screenplay by Barry Schneider, features a soundtrack stuffed with disco tunes including Hell On Wheels performed by Cher, The Roller Boogie written by Mavis & Bob Esty, Boogie Wonderland written by Jon Lind and Allee Willis and the Bob Esty & Michael Brooks song Summer Love.

Street Smart

Olive Films / Released 7/7/15

A New York magazine reporter on the verge of losing his job, Jonathan Fisher (Christopher Reeve, Superman) fabricates a story about prostitution that reignites his career and brings unwanted attention to a powerful pimp, Fast Black (Morgan Freeman, Million Dollar Baby). The police, believing the story is true, feel they are closer to putting the notorious pimp behind bars. As pressure mounts for Fisher to reveal the identity of the lead in his story, he’s unaware that Fast Black has plans of his own for the writer who’s jeopardized his business in the gritty, urban drama Street Smart.


Street Smart, directed by Jerry Schatzberg (Scarecrow, The Panic In Needle Park), from a screenplay by David Freeman, co-stars Kathy Baker, Mimi Rogers, Andre Gregory, Rick Aviles and Jay Patterson. 

Criminal Law

Olive Films / Released 7/7/15

Ben Chase (Gary Oldman) is an on-the-rise Boston attorney currently defending a wealthy client in a high profile murder case. Martin Thiel (Kevin Bacon) is the wealthy young man on trial for a particularly brutal murder. The verdict sets Thiel free. Within 24 hours another grizzly and all-too-familiar murder has taken place with striking similarities to the first crime. As suspicions mount, Thiel contacts Chase to once again defend him. Realizing his culpability in having allowed Thiel to walk free after the first trial, Chase inexplicably agrees to act as his defense attorney; but this time it will be to gather evidence that will put away his client for good. But who’s manipulating who in this edge-of-your-seat thrill ride?

Criminal Law co-stars Tess Harper, Karen Young and Joe Don Baker in a film directed by Martin Campbell from a screenplay written by Mark Kasdan.

’71

Lionsgate / Released 7/7/15

’71 takes place over a single night in the life of a young British soldier (Jack O’Connell) accidentally abandoned by his unit following a riot on the streets of Belfast in 1971. Unable to tell friend from foe, and increasingly wary of his own comrades, he must survive the night alone and find his way to safety through a disorientating, alien and deadly landscape.  Extras include commentary.

First Peoples

PBS / Released 7/7/15

First Peoples tells the story of how early Homo sapiens moved around the globe and became the dominant human species. Each episode of the five-part series focuses on a different continent and meets the earliest Homo sapiens on that continent – the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and Europe. Where did they come from? How did they get there? What role did art, culture and technology play in their lives? Whom did they meet along the way? It used to be thought our ancestors kept a distance from other types of human. But now DNA reveals they mated with them and interbred. As a result, our species is a patchwork of modern and ancient humans – we are all hybrids.

With a camera crew winging its way around the world, First Peoples dives into the underwater caves of Yucatan, soars above the Australian outback and journeys to the Himalayas. In every location, key experts are on hand to reveal their findings, but the biggest breakthroughs are taking place in genetic laboratories. It is now possible to extract high quality DNA from ancient fossils, and the sequences that emerge are re-writing the human story.

Includes episodes:

• Americas: As early humans spread out across the world, their toughest challenge was colonizing the Americas because a huge ice sheet blocked the route. It has long been thought that the first Americans were Clovis people, who arrived 13,000 years ago. But an underwater discovery in Mexico suggests people arrived earlier — coming by boat, not on foot. How closely related were these early Americans to today’s Native Americans? It’s an emotive issue, involving one of the most controversial fossils in the world, Kennewick Man.

• Africa: 200,000 years ago, a new species, Homo sapiens, appeared on the African landscape. While scientists have long imagined eastern Africa as a real-life Garden of Eden, the latest research suggests humans evolved in many places across the continent at the same time. Now, the DNA of a 19th-century African-American slave reveals that during the early days of our species, our ancestors continued meeting, mating and hybridizing with other human types in Africa — creating ever greater diversity within us.

• Asia: What happened when early humans ventured out of Africa and into Asia? Where did they go and whom did they meet along the way? The latest evidence suggests they left far earlier than previously thought and interbred with a newly discovered type of ancient human — the Denisovans, whose existence was established only four years ago when geneticists extracted DNA from a tiny fragment of finger bone. Because our ancestors mated with them, their genes found a home within our DNA. More than that, they’ve helped us survive and thrive.

• Australia: When humans arrived in Australia, they were, for the first time, truly alone, surrounded by wildly different flora and fauna. How did they survive and populate a continent? There is a close cultural and genetic link between early Australians and modern-day Aborigines; here the ancient and modern story intersect as nowhere else. The secret to this continuity is diversity. Intuitively, early Australians found the right balance between being separate and connected.

• Europe: When Homo sapiens turned up in prehistoric Europe, they ran into the Neanderthals. The two types of human were similar enough to interbreed — and both created artifacts of similar complexity. As more and more Homo sapiens moved into Europe, the balance of power shifted. Neanderthals were overwhelmed. Ever since, we’ve had Europe – and the rest of the world – to ourselves.

House of Cards: The Complete Third Season

Sony / Released 7/7/15

In Season 3 of House of Cards, President Underwood fights to secure his legacy. Claire wants more than being the first lady. The biggest threat they face is contending with each other. This Emmy-winning original thriller series stars Golden Globe winner Kevin Spacey as ruthless and cunning Francis Underwood, who will stop at nothing to conquer the halls of power in Washington D.C. His secret weapon: his gorgeous, ambitious and equally conniving wife Claire (Golden Globe winner Robin Wright).  Extras include featurettes.

Last Word: One would think Frank Underwood would have little to no problems once he ascended to the presidency of the United States. Getting there was the hard part, right? What could have been a slow and predictable third season from Netflix is in fact the best group of episodes yet. While the first episode or two are in fact quite slow compared to the frenetic pace of the last two episodes from season two, House of Cards picks up steam around episode three and doesn’t look back, establishing itself as one of the top television programs in America at the moment.

Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright have mastered their characters and while the Underwoods and their actions seemed over-the-top in the previous two seasons, there is no denying the writers have decided to focus on plot this season. It pays off. Standing off against a Putin-esque president from Russia, running for election (keep in mind Frank Underwood received the same amount of votes for the presidency as I did), and balancing the public relations war domestically and abroad pump life into the show.

However, despite the spotlight almost always on the Underwoods, it’s the supporting characters that shine this season. Jackie Sharp, played by the always terrific Molly Parker, struggles with defining her own ambitions as well as falling in line with the Democratic party. Doug Stamper’s quest to break back into the inner circle of the White House is heart breaking and it shows how well the writing is this season since he is one of the most despicable men in the series. Perhaps the best of them all is Russian President, Viktor Petrov. While so easily similar to the real life Russian leader, there are several wonderful scenes between him and Underwood as they tackle issues such as gay rights and conflict in the Middle East. The standoff is an easy trope, but it is executed wonderfully here.

The exclusion of Zoey Barnes and her paranoid lover is a blessing this season. The view of the press has shifted from TMZ tabloid writers with lust for fame instead of fact to respecting journalists and storytellers. Being that half the season focuses on the election of 2016, the press is one of the most important institutions and the writers make a strong effort to show how important the war to win public perception is in politics.

While the plot is more interesting than ever before, there is a bit too much predictability in season 3. Since many of the prominent characters are one-dimensional it’s easy to see their intentions. Predictability has always been a downfall of House of Cards, but even if you see the chess moves a few episodes ahead of time, you will still revel in how delicious the road is to get to those moments. (– Nate Davis)

Bitten: Complete Second Season

Entertainment One / Released 7/7/15

Bitten is an action-packed, erotically charged, and serialized one-hour series set in a familiar world…where werewolves happen to live amongst us. Survival of the werewolf population depends upon their remaining clandestine and their society is monitored by The Pack; the organized werewolf family to which 25-year-old Elena Michaels (Laura Vandervoort) used to belong. After a year away from The Pack, Elena hesitantly returns to the fold when the body of a young woman is discovered in the woods outside the small town of Bear Valley, New York (the adopted home of The Pack). Could this attack be an isolated incident or is it the opening salvo of an all-out war against the Mutts – rogue werewolves whose aim is to destroy The Pack? Torn between the new life she’s created in Toronto and old loyalty to her Pack family, Elena will be forced to fight her own battle between the woman and the wolf within. Extras include featurettes, gag reel, deleted and extended scenes, and NYCC panel.

Episodes Include:

• Bad Blood: In the Season 2 premiere, Elena and the Pack are on the hunt for Malcolm, while back at Stonehaven, Jeremy’s leadership over North America is challenged when he is given an ultimatum by the Council of International Alphas.

• Scare Tactics: While in Louisina Clay discovers the truth about his family. Back in Stonehaven, Malcolm refuses to reveal Rachel’s location. Roderigo’s arrival at Stonehaven takes an unforeseen turn and two unexpected visitors enter the mansion. Meanwhile, Elena meets with Diane to talk about Philip’s death. The night falls in Stonehaven hot and unpredictable.

• Hell’s Teeth: In a flashback we witness Savannah’s kidnap. Back to present day, Jeremy and his pack are searching for Malcolm; also Roderigo’s pack is looking for Roderigo. Paige and Ruth return Stonehaven and discuss with Jeremy the terms of a witch/werewolf pact and set a trap for Aleister. Savannah sends Alastair into the trap and a big – with an unpredictable outcome – begins.

• Dead Meat: Elena is kidnapped. The Pack and Witches are trying to locate Elena and Savannah. Logan has sneaked in Aleister’s Compound and is looking for Rachel. Aleister’s big plan has a name, “The Undoing.”

• Rabbit Hole: In a flashback we see how Dr. Bauer met Aleister. Back in the present, Elena is forced to assist Dr. Bauer, Aleister continues on manipulating Savannah and Rachel is being brainwashed. At Stonehaven Paige and Nick try to track down Aleister’s step mother, while Jeremy and Ruth take another path in search for answers. Elena manages to communicate with the pack. 

• Nine Circles: In a flashback we see Aleister’s birth. Back in the present day, Rachel meets with Logan, while Aleister tries to break the connection between Savannah and Elena. Elena manages to escape but she’s hallucinating. Clay and Paige are reaching to the Compound.

• Bad Dreams: Savannah is tortured by a bad dream; meanwhile at Stonehaven Elena an Clay make plans for their future and Jeremy meets with members of the Council. At the Compound Nick and Paige destroy evidence and Paige convinces him to meet with his mother. Back at Stonehaven, Jeremy is being blackmailed by the Spanish Alpha and Savannah’s arrival complicates things further.

• Dark Arts: In a flashback we learn about Aleister’s and Clara’s past. Back in the present, Aleister in Clay’s body prepares to abduct Savannah by convincing Ruth and Paige to perform Savannah’s magical coming-of-age ceremony in Stonehaven. The ceremony begins and Aleister must kill Clay to return to his body. 

• Scavenger’s Daughter: In a flashback we learn more on Aleister’s past. In the present, witches and werewolves are in grave danger because the Undoing; so they join forces to locate and stop Aleister once and for all! Elsewhere, Aleister and Clara are trying to control Savannah, while Logan and Rachel are having problems of their own. 

• Fine Temporum: The Pack and Paige arrive at the Deplhi, but Aleister, Clara and Savannah are one step ahead. While Jeremy and his pack fight spelled guards to get to the catacombs, Aleister is already there trying to stop Ruth from killing him. Elena and Paige get to the catacombs first and the fight to stop the Undoing begins.

Dick Cavett’s Vietnam

PBS / Released 7/7/15

Dick Cavett’s Vietnam examines the conflict and its impact on America through the prism of interviews conducted by the iconic host of The Dick Cavett Show.

“While I started out to do an entertaining talk show, you couldn’t keep Vietnam out of the conversation,” says Dick Cavett in a new interview in the documentary. Joining Cavett are a mix of actor/entertainers (Woody Allen, Warren Beatty, Jane Fonda, Groucho Marx and Paul Newman), politicians (Senators Barry Goldwater, Wayne Morse, Edmund Muskie, and Vice President Hubert Humphrey), sports figures (Muhammad Ali) and more.

Dick Cavett’s Vietnam includes numerous highlights from the talk show representing all sides of the unfolding debate about the war. A young Warren Beatty gives a passionate explanation for how America got into the war and his evolving feelings about the country’s involvement in Vietnam, highlighting the changing opinion of the American public toward the war. Cavett also had veterans, including future Senator John Kerry, on his program to debate the morality of fighting in Vietnam as well as discuss the treatment they received upon their return stateside. Today, these episodes of The Dick Cavett Show provide a unique window into what was happening all across the country–in private homes, on college campuses and in the halls of government.

Dick Cavett’s Vietnam combines interviews from Cavett shows with archival footage, network news broadcasts and recently filmed interviews with Dick Cavett, General Wesley K. Clark of the United States Army (retired); Pulitzer Prize-winning author Fredrik Logevall (Embers of War: The Fall of an Empire and the Making of America’s Vietnam); and Naftali (who was also featured in Dick Cavett’s Watergate) to provide insight and perspective on this controversial chapter of American history.

Historian and former director of the Richard Nixon Library and Museum, Timothy Naftali, is featured in the documentary and describes the prevailing sentiment captured in Cavett’s interviews this way, “It’s that America that is wounded, scarred by this commitment in Southeast Asia and is now trying to figure out a way to get out.”

Ex Machina

Lionsgate / Released 7/14/15

After winning a competition to spend a week at the mountain estate of his company’s brilliant CEO (Oscar Isaac), programmer Caleb (Domhnall Gleeson) arrives to discover he has been chosen to take part in a study of artificial intelligence. Sworn to secrecy and cut off from the outside world, Caleb meets his subject, a beguiling and seductive cyborg (Alicia Vikander)-and is plunged into an A.I. experiment beyond his wildest dreams in this epic thriller charged with heart-stopping suspense. Extras include featurettes and SXSW Q&A.

Last Word: When a programmer at the world’s most successful technology conglomerate is given the chance to participate in a project at his CEO’s forest-buried villa, he soon finds out he is in for the experiment of a lifetime. The overzealous head honcho asks his base-level employee to execute an experiment on the most recent advancement in android technology (and this mobile operating system’s contract is definitely beyond anything offered by Verizon).

Caleb (Domnhall Gleeson) finds himself immersed in the overblown mansion of an unlikely boss located deep in the forest of an exorbitant estate in the valley of an undisclosed mountain range. His only other human contact is Nathan (a stellar Oscar Isaac), the super rich magnate of Bluebook, a sort of Apple meets Google company that has monopolized the world of digital and mobile technology. In between coming up with new ideas and advancements for his company’s future, Nathan hits a heavy bag in his gymnasium almost as hard as he hits the bottles in his kitchen.

Nathan’s newest secret invention is Ava, a robotic human whose mental progression is beyond that of any artificial intelligence known to man. He asks Caleb to perform a Turing test on Ava to determine if she can pass for human. The test itself requires Caleb to observe and report Ava’s behavior in sessions that serve as the film’s chapters. The goal is to measure how well Ava’s development as an AI could reflect the possibility of obtaining human emotions out of the machine that her body reveals her to be.

Ava is played by Alicia Vikander, a remarkable Swedish actress whose performance as the mechanical fruit of her creator’s intellectual loins creates an emotional bond with the audience as captivating as her conversations with Caleb, the first human she has ever known besides her fairy godmother Nathan. But does Ava know she is part of an experiment? Does Caleb realize what he has gotten himself into? And are Nathan’s true intentions as noble as his company’s reputation might make them seem?

When such a story is presented as it is here, the focus relies solely on the performance of the three primary actors, who each shine in their own unique ways. Rather than focusing on the incredible digital effects used to create Ava, the audience is successfully drawn into the movement of the film by the verbal interactions held between her and Caleb through objective conversations. Bonds look like they are developing when Caleb’s own curiosity leads him down a path to reveal the secrets held in Nathan’s sanctuary of isolation. New suspicions arise no sooner than previous ones are acknowledged and answered. The outcome reveals what only years of hard work ultimately have created. As deep as the script may go in detail of the aspects of the Turing test, this kind of tale has been told before in many fashions. Thus, it is no wonder that the story would fall into the black hole of predictability for anyone familiar with this kind of scenario, requiring the actors to make their performances stand out and be noticed.

Luckily, the cast makes such a marvelous performance of the formulaic script that Ex Machina stands out among its preceding tales of legend. Vikander and Gleeson could not be more perfect when they are on screen together, almost causing the audience to wish for more. Isaac is a true standout as the flawed leader of a tech corporation who knows exactly what to reveal to his unsuspecting assistant, as well as how and when. The true deceptions that can only be of human origin reveal themselves in perfect harmony with the development of the stories and characters in a subtle good versus evil narrative. Although the film seems to devolve as it climaxes to its only possible conclusion, the characters once again reverse the plight of predictability with gusto and marvelous empathy through their performances.

Like so many works of cinematic art, this would be an indefensible farce if it were anything but what it is. The set design secludes itself completely within the captivating Norwegian Juvet Landscape Hotel. The technology is brought to life through Millenium FX (perhaps best known as the prop designers behind the face-huggers on Doctor Who). The best part is that the visual effects are anything but overwhelming, which only adds to the beauty of the film as a whole. And the score collaboration by Geoff Barlow and Ben Salisbury adds heart to what would otherwise be a dogmatic interpretation of the human playing God scenario. Ex Machina is a wonder to the eyes and ears as well as an enjoyable story that keeps its viewers on their toes, even if it does not keep them guessing. (– Herbert Shaw)

It Follows 

Starz/Anchor Bay /  Released 7/14/15

For 19-year-old Jay, fall should be about school, boys and weekends out at the lake. But after a seemingly innocent sexual encounter, she finds herself plagued by strange visions and the inescapable sense that someone, or something, is following her. Jay and her teenage friends must now find a way to escape the horrors that seem to be only a few steps behind. Extras include featurette, critic’s commentary, composer interview, trailer and gallery.

Last Word: One of the best thrillers of recent memory, It Follows focuses on a sexually transmitted horror. Once intercourse occurs, the curse has been transferred and the now victim must pass along the curse before a slow walking threat (which can look like anyone) catches up with them. Paying homage to the horror oeuvre of the seventies and eighties, the film takes place in a non-specific time, but is never played for nostalgia or laughs. Instead, the film is reminiscent of the works of early John Carpenter and Wes Craven and is intense enough to keep the tension high through the conclusion. And although the film warrants as many question as answers, but certainly stands up to repeat viewings and analysis. Highly recommended.

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 

20th Century Fox / Released 7/14/15

Check in again for more love and laughter as new arrival Richard Gere joins an all-star ensemble cast – including Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy and Dev Patel – returning for this heartwarming sequel to The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel! Now that his first venture has been proven successful, ever-confident Sonny (Patel) is busy juggling plans for a second resort… as well as his own wedding. But his efforts are constantly hampered by hilarious complications, and in order to pull it all together, he’ll need a little help and encouragement from his resident friends. Extras include featurettes and gallery.

Little House on the Prairie: Season Six Collection 

Lionsgate / Released 7/14/15

When Almanzo Wilder and his sister Eliza Jane move to Walnut Grove in the sixth season of this cherished series, life will never be the same for Laura Ingalls. Fully restored and remastered, all 24 uncut episodes shine with quality picture and sound, bringing new excitement to memorable moments like Mary’s stagecoach accident, Albert’s challenging adoption, Nels’ reunion with his circus sideshow sister, Laura and Mary’s captivity by escaped convicts, the fatal fire at the school for the blind, Almanzo’s unrequited marriage proposal to Laura and countless more must-see moments! Extras include featurette.

Last Word: A staple of seventies television, Little House on the Prairie hits all of the nostalgiac notes in this wonderful release. Starring Michael Landon, Karen Grassle, Melissa Gilbert, Pamela Sue Anderson and Lindsay Sidney Green Bush, Little House chronicled the adventures of the Ingalls family as they settled and prospered in Walnut Grove. In this season, the extended cast have become regulars including Patrick Labyorteaux, Matthew Labyorteaux and Dean Butler. Guest stars included Kyle Richards, Bonnie Bartlett, Victor French, Jonathan Banks, and Suzanne Rogers. With solid writing and performances, this period drama is as watchable (and as enjoyable) today as it was when it first aired. Highly recommended.

Powers – The Complete First Season

Sony Home Entertainment / Released 7/14/15

Based on the 2004 comic book series of the same name from artist Michael Avon Oeming and writer Brian Michael Bendis, Powers asks, what if the world was full of superheroes who aren’t actually heroic at all? What if all their “powers” were just one more excuse for mischief, mayhem, murder, and endorsement deals? Enter the men and women of the Powers Division, the brave people in charge of protecting humans like us and keeping the peace over commercialized, god-like men and women who glide through the sky imposing their power over the mortals who both worship and fear them.

The series follows LAPD “Powers Division” detectives Christian Walker (Sharlto Copley) and Deena Pilgrim (Susan Heyward) as they investigate homicide cases involving people with superhuman abilities. Walker, once operating as a power until he lost his abilities to the super villain Wolfe (Eddie Izzard), now operates with just a gun and a badge to take down the formidable foes plaguing Los Angeles. Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes and outtakes.

Episodes include:

• Pilot: In a world of superheroes, Christian Walker is a former Power who lost his abilities. Now he fights crime as a member of Powers division: normal policemen dealing with superhuman crime. But when a Power dies during sex, Christian and his new partner Deena Pilgrim begin to realize the answers lie with two old friends of Christian’s. 

• Like a Power: Retro Girl takes Calista to her home to find out what happened between her and Christian. Meanwhile, Christian and Deena get a new lead on Olympia’s death, while Johnny prepares for the opening of his new club. 

• Mickey Rooney Cries No More: A new corpse turns up with Sway in the bloodstream, and Christian and Deena figure that Johnny is involved. Meanwhile, Calista goes back to Retro Girl for protection, and Krispin tries to impress a girl by going to Here and Gone.

• Devil in a Garbage Bag: When Wolfe escapes captivity, he goes on a rampage and Powers Division is called in to stop him. Meanwhile, Krispin decides to make a statement on behalf of his dead father.

• Paint It Black: Christian tries to stop Wolfe from escaping Level 8 of the Shaft, and receives some unexpected help. Meanwhile, Calista visits Krispin, while Johnny tries to find a way to escape the Drainer.

• The Raconteur of the Funeral Circuit: While Christian, Retro Girl, and Triphammer attend the service for the four cops killed by Wolfe, Calista and Krispin begin their anti-Powers tagging. Meanwhile, Johnny tries to extract Sway from Simons, and Wolfe comes to a realization while under the Drainer.

• You Are Not It: Krispin continues his Kaotic Chic campaign against the Powers, bringing him into conflict with Calista. Meanwhile, Retro Girl prepares for a big benefit and is forced to work with Zora, and Christian and Deena arrest Simons.

• Aha Shake Heartbreak: Krispin prepares to use Retro Girl’s mentorship benefit to make a statement against the Powers. Meanwhile, Calista recovers from taking Sway but is disappointed in the results. And Johnny forces Christian to listen to his explanation of what he’s done… and how he plans to fix it.

• Level 13: Christian tries to lure Johnny into a trap by claiming that he wants to kill Wolfe and get his powers back. Meanwhile, Krispin buries his mother while Cross is forced to release Calista.

• F@#k the Big Chiller: Wolfe goes on a rampage to feed on the Powerz Kidz, and Christian and Deena have no choice but to free Johnny to help them take the POwer down. However, Wolfe finds an unexpected ally in Calista.

The Black Stallion  

Criterion / Released 7/14/15

A wild horse saves a young boy’s life after a terrifying shipwreck and the two become unlikely friends in Carroll Ballard’s cinematic tour de force, adapted from Walter Farley’s classic children’s novel. From the crystalline shores of a deserted island to the green grass and dusty roads of 1940s suburban America, Ballard and director of photography Caleb Deschanel create a film of consistent visual invention and purity, one that also features a winning supporting performance by Mickey Rooney (National Velvet) as a retired jockey and a gorgeous score by Carmine Coppola. Extras include 5 short films from director Ballard (Pigs!, The Perils of Priscilla, Rodeo, Seems Like Only Yesterday and Crystallization), New conversation between Ballard and film critic Scott Foundas, New interview with Deschanel, new piece featuring photographer Mary Ellen Mark discussing her images from the film’s set, trailer and an essay by film critic Michael Sragow.

Last Word: A visually stunning and beautiful film, The Black Stallion is as magical now as it was when  it was first released in 1979.  Director Ballard created a rare family film that not only enchants young viewers, but engages both adults and cinegeeks.   The film focuses on Alec Ramsey traveling with his father on an ocean voyage, where he becomes intrigued by the wild Arabian horse on the ship.  When the ship sinks the only survivors, Alec and the horse, find themselves alone on a desert island.  This entire portion of the film is presented almost silently, with the breathtaking landscape and small moments captured eloquently by cinematographer Deschanel.  The third act, which brings Alec and his horse back to society and his mother, also introduces the more cliched story elements including the bittersweet old jockey and the inevitable race to victory.  Nevertheless, one can’t dismiss the overall specialness and allure of this must see film.

Howling II: Your Sister Is A Werewolf 

Shout! Factory / Released 7/14/15

After countless millennia of watching, waiting and stalking, the unholy creatures known as werewolves are poised to inherit the earth. Legendary horror icon Christopher Lee faces off against sexy cult favorite Sybil Danning (Battle Beyond the Stars, Chained Heat, Grindhouse) in this terrifying descent into a world of nightmares that turns out to be all too real!

After newscaster Karen White’s shocking on-screen transformation and violent death (in the original The Howling), her brother Ben (Reb Brown, Yor, the Hunter of the Future) is approached by Stefan Crosscoe (Lee), a mysterious man who claims that Karen has, in fact, become a werewolf. But this is the least of their worries… to save mankind, Stefan and Ben must travel to Transylvania to battle and destroy Stirba (Danning), the immortal queen of all werewolves, before she is restored to her full powers!

Also starring Annie McEnroe (The Hand) and Marsha A. Hunt (Dracula A.D. 1972), directed by Philippe Mora (The Marsupials: The Howling III, Communion, The Beast Within), and driven by a pulsing punk-y soundtrack, this film is a no-holds-barred horror-fest that’ll rip your heart out… and you’ll like it. Extras include commentaries, interviews, trailer and gallery.

The Outing / The Godsend

Shout! Factory / Released 7/14/15

The Outing
An ancient genie is released from a lamp when thieves ransack an old woman’s house. They are killed and the lamp is sent to a museum to be studied. The curator’s daughter is soon possessed by the genie and invites her friends to spend the night at the museum, along with some uninvited guests.

The Godsend
When a strange woman has her baby at the Marlowe’s house, then disappears, Kate Marlowe is forced to keep the baby, Bonnie. She loves the child, but when her own children are systematically killed, suspicion turns to Bonnie.  Extras include trailer.

Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving the Police

Cinema Libre / Released 7/14/15

Based on the acclaimed memoir by renowned guitarist Andy Summers, Can’t Stand Losing You: Surviving The Police follows Summers’ journey from his early days in the psychedelic ’60s music scene, when he played with The Animals, to chance encounters with drummer Stewart Copeland and bassist Sting, which led to the formation of a punk trio, The Police.

The band’s phenomenal rise and its highly publicized dissolution at the height of their fame in the early ’80s was captured by Summers’ camera.

Utilizing rare archival footage, Summers’ photos, and insights from the guitarist’s side of the stage, Can’t Stand Losing You brings together past and present as the band members prepare to reunite for the first time in two decades for a global reunion tour. Extras include commentary, featurette, Q & A, and gallery.

Last Word: The film, which is based on Summers’ 2006 biography One Train Later, tells his story before The Police as an up-and-coming guitarist who was mentioned in the same breath as Jeff Beck, how he joined what would become one of the biggest bands in the world, and their rise to fame, clash of egos and inevitable split.

Archival footage of The Police’s performances and interviews is intercut with footage from their 2007 reunion show, along with Summers’s photos highlighting never-seen moments of the band, fans and the endless parade of towns and hotels.

There’s also footage of Summers out snapping photos, including an impromptu moment when he overhears someone singing Every Breath You Take in a Tokyo karaoke bar and goes in to join him: The clueless singer doesn’t realize at first that he’s standing next to a member of The Police.

Even if you know The Police well, it’s great to see these behind-the-scenes photos and get a glimpse into what being on the road was like in the late ’70s and early ’80s. The band’s fondness for each other is evident in the film, as is their frustration with the media focus on Sting and when he was going to go solo, as he eventually did.

There’s more of a plot to the film than expected: Professionally, it’s – as Sting notes in a reunion interview with Elvis Costello in the film – like having Mom and Dad get back together. And in his personal life, it’s sad to see Summers’ breakup with his wife, Kate, a casualty of so much touring. And it’s very satisfying to learn they reunited.(– Sharon Knolle)

Cellar Dwellar / Catacombs 

Shout! Factory / Released 7/14/15

Cellar Dweller
The promising career of a horror comic book artist ends in a fiery death when he confronts the bloody carnage of his own imagination in his studio. Years later, an ardent devotee of the artist’s work becomes a resident in his house, now an art academy, unaware that her imagination has revived the grotesque murderer of the past… and that she may be the next victim.

Catacombs
For over 400 years, the curse of the Abbey at San Pietro was kept a secret. Buried deep beneath the monastery lies the Beast of the Apocalypse. The power of evil is unleashed when an American priest and a beautiful young schoolteacher uncover the unholy terror of a diabolical spell cast centuries ago. Now, it will take the ultimate sacrifice to stop the curse that will not be denied. Extras include commentary.

Blown Away 

Kino Lorber / Released 7/14/15

The fuse has been lit! Screen legends Jeff Bridges (Thunderbolt and Lightfoot) and Tommy Lee Jones (The Package) light a fuse under this action-packed tension-filled, edge-of-the-seat thriller that will hold you hostage for 120 electrifying minutes. Fueled with dynamic support by Lloyd Bridges (Hot Shots), Forest Whitaker (Species) and Suzy Amis (The Usual Suspects), Blown Away is the action film you don’t want to miss… when an explosion jolts Boston, bomb squad expert Jimmy Dove (Bridges) is thrust into the most harrowing work of his career. Evidence points to a bomber more dangerous and skilled than any he’s ever faced – except one. The possibility that the terrorist is his former mentor (Jones) increases the stakes – and as his friends and family are unsuspectingly drawn into the action, Jimmy is forced to face not only his bitter enemy… but also his haunting past. Stylish and suspenseful direction by Stephen Hopkins, the director of The Ghost and the Darkness and Predator 2.  Extras include commentary, making of, music video and trailer.

Life Stinks 

Kino Lorber / Released 7/14/15

From fortune 500… to fortune’s fool! Acclaimed actor/writer/director and comedy legend, Mel Brooks (Young Frankenstein) takes his hilarious brand of comic lunacy to the streets-literally-with this warmhearted comedy about a rich man who wins back his humanity… by losing everything else he’s got! Multi-billionaire Goddard Bold (Brooks) has just made a deal that will change his life. In order to win the right to build over a ghetto, Bolt must survive on its impoverished streets penniless for 30 days. But when this well-to-do man discovers what its like to do without, it’ll take the charity of a feisty bag lady (Leslie Ann Warren, Cop) and a newly found appreciation for the best things in life to show him the true meaning of being “filthy rich”. The hilarious cast includes comedy greats Jeffrey Tambor (TV’s Arrested Development), Stuart Pankin (Arachnophobia), Howard Morris (High Anxiety), Rudy De Luca (Silent Movie) and Billy Barty (Foul Play).  Extras include commentary, featurette and trailer.

Rush 

Kino Lorber / Released 7/14/15

What happens when two cops stop loving their job…. and start living it? This emotionally riveting, powerful and unsparing film exposes the plight of two narcotics officers who cross the line… and become enmeshed in the dangerous but intoxicating underbelly of the drug world. Jason Patric (Solarbabies) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (Heart of Midnight) give rich, full-blooded performances as undercover officers Jim Raynor and Kristen Cates, partners who become lovers and addicts as they infiltrate the local drug scene in order to bring down a suspected drug lord. But as their relationship intensifies and their drug use turns to abuse, the fine line between the good guys and the bad guys becomes as blurry as their drug-induced vision. Lili Fini Zanuck makes her directorial debut in this gut-wrenching thriller featuring songs by rock icon Eric Clapton and a stellar supporting cast that includes Sam Elliott (Road House), Max Perlich (Drugstore Cowboy) and Rock legend Gregg Allman as a vicious drug dealer. Extras include commentary, music video and trailer.

All Quiet On The Western Front 

Shout! / Released 7/14/15

Richard Thomas (The Waltons) stars in a powerful and dramatic adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque’s acclaimed novel All Quiet On The Western Front. At the rise of World War I, German patriot Paul Baumer (Thomas) and his friends enlist in the Imperial German Army. In search of adventure and eager to assert the superiority of their nation, the young men endure a brutal training camp and soon find themselves face to face with the full horrors of war when they are sent to the front lines to fight… and likely die. As the conflict rages, Paul grows from an eager boy to a disillusioned man who bears the scars of war on both his body and his soul. Ernest Borgnine (The Dirty Dozen), Donald Pleasence (The Great Escape), Ian Holm (Alien) and Patricia Neal (Hud) also star in a gripping coming-of-age tale set in the shadow of war. Extras include trailer and gallery.

Real Men

Kino Lorber / Released 7/14/15

The fate of the world is in their hands… God help us all! James Belushi (Red Heat) and John Ritter (TV’s Three’s Company) push the comic envelope in this genuinely off-the-wall comedy about an improbable mission between the CIA, the KGB, and of course, visitors from another planet! The fate of the entire world lies in the hands of a brilliant, charming cad of a secret agent named Nick Pirandello (Belushi), who has to barter for global salvation with aliens seeking a highly secret glass… of water! Dire circumstances force Nick to recruit naive, insecure insurance agent Bob Wilson (Ritter) as his partner, making his precarious predicament downright preposterous, as their insane mission becomes not only extra dangerous, but also entirely extraterrestrial. Writer Dennis Feldman (The Golden Child) made his directorial debut.

The Legend Of The Lone Ranger

Shout! Factory / Released 7/14/15

Defender. Hero. Legend. The untold story of the man behind the mask comes to life in The Legend Of The Lone Ranger. When the ruthless bandit Butch Cavendish (Christopher Lloyd) ambushes a team of Texas Rangers, only John Reid (Klinton Spilsbury) survives. Enlisting the help of his childhood friend Tonto (Michael Horse) and donning a mask, Reid saddles up a “fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty ‘Hi-yo, Silver'” — and one of America’s most beloved and enduring symbols of justice is born.

Also starring two-time Academy Award winner Jason Robards as Ulysses S. Grant, The Legend Of The Lone Ranger is a thrilling and dramatic retelling of the journey of two heroes who have captured the imagination of fans for over eighty years…The Lone Ranger rides again! Includes theatrical trailer.

Last Word: The first reimagining that was torn apart by the press was this 1981 take on the Western hero.  Part of the venom was likely the result of the studio’s treatment of original Lone Ranger Clayton Moore, who continued making appearances as the character for decades, who was legally forbidden to wear the mask publicly with the announcement of this film.  And, like many other revamps, The Legend Of The Lone Ranger is overwhelmingly mediocre.  Klinton Spilsbury played the title character in his only screen performance (and was dubbed by actor James Keach) before disappearing into obscurity.  The film has aged a little bit better than expected; and for what it’s worth, it’s pretty faithful to the source material.

Baby It’s You 

Olive Films / Released 7/14/15

Rosanna Arquette (After Hours) and Vincent Spano (Rumblefish) star in writer/director John Sayles’ romantic-drama, Baby It’s You. Set in 1966 New Jersey, middle-class high school senior Jill (Arquette) finds herself inexplicably drawn to a suave, blue collar bad boy (and aspiring singer) known as “The Sheik” (Spano). Exuding mystery and danger, “The Sheik” woos Jill until she succumbs to his charms, which baffles her friends and horrifies her parents and teachers. Baby It’s You recounts the ups and downs of the lead characters from young love to hook-ups & break-ups to college life and the toll of unfulfilled dreams. With his extraordinary ear for dialog, John Sayles (Lone Star, Eight Men Out, Return of the Secaucus 7) fashions a period piece with contemporary relevance. Featured in supporting roles are Tracy Pollan (TV’s Family Ties), Matthew Modine (Full Metal Jacket) and Fisher Stevens (Short Circuit).

Eternal Sea 

Olive Films / Released 7/14/15

Based on the life of Rear Admiral John Madison Hoskins, The Eternal Sea is a stirring drama of one man’s selfless dedication to the U.S. Navy. Eager to command a ship during World War II, Hoskins (Sterling Hayden, Dr. Strangelove, Johnny Guitar) is finally assigned to the Princeton, but loses his leg when the ship is destroyed by Japanese fighter plans. After being returned stateside, Hoskins refuses to consider retirement, and stubbornly insists that he be allowed to command the newly built Princeton.

With the support of his faithful wife (Alexis Smith), Hoskins must overcome not only his own disability but – perhaps the greater challenge – the mindset of his military superiors, who assume he is physically unfit to command a ship.

Wyrmwood: Road of The Dead

Shout! Factory / Released 7/14/15

In the aftermath of a comet breaking up over Earth, most of the planet’s population quickly succumbs to a strange disease which turns them into “zombies.” Few survive, and those who do, quickly discover all existing fuel sources have been rendered useless by the plague.

Trapped in a wilderness teeming with living dead, one of the survivors, Barry, has lost everything except his sister, Brooke. But even as the disaster unfolds, Brooke is kidnapped and dragged to a terrifying medical lab run by a psychotic “doctor”, who is performing a series of deranged experiments on plague survivors. As Brooke struggles to devise an escape plan, she realizes that the doctor’s experiments have given her strange powers over his zombie captives. Unaware of his sister’s new powers, Barry teams up with fellow survivors to rescue her and protect what family he has left.

With a healthy dose of Mad Max-inspired vehicular mayhem and an enormous serving of pure, raw talent, this raucous post-apocalyptic epic is one of the most original and wildly entertaining genre films in years!  Extras include commentary, crowdfunding pitch videos, deleted scenes, behind the scenes, trailers, and storyboards.

Clouds of Sils Maria

Paramount / Released 7/14/15

Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is an actress at the peak of her international career who is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years earlier. Back then she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young woman who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria, a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloë Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself.

Doctor Who: The Daleks

BBC America / Released 7/14/15

WKRP In Cincinnati: Season 3

Shout! Factory / Released 7/14/15

The crew of Cincinnati’s iconic radio station WKRP is back to hilariously bring you the hits you love! From rock ‘n’ roll to soul, no one does it better than Dr. Johnny Fever (Howard Hesseman) and Venus Flytrap (Tim Reid)! Throw in quirky newsman Les Nessman (Richard Sanders), his ingénue Bailey (Jan Smithers), incompetent station manager Carlson (Gordon Jump), long-suffering program director Andy (Gary Sandy), slimeball ad man Herb (Frank Bonner) and bombshell receptionist Jennifer (Loni Anderson) and you have yourself a winning combination of classic tunes and uproarious laughter!

Includes the episodes:

• The Airplane Show: Trying to compete with WPIG’s traffic helicopter, Les starts doing traffic reports from a World War I biplane piloted by a crazy war veteran.

• Jennifer Moves: The staff helps Jennifer move into her new $125,000 house in the quiet suburb of Landersville. But she soon finds out that life in Landersville isn’t as pleasant as she thought it would be.

• Real Families: When Herb’s family is featured in the show Real Families, he is sure that they can serve as an example of a clean living family. Unfortunately, the image Herb wants to convey is different from the reality shown on screen.

• The Baby: Mr. Carlson’s wife goes into labor and the WKRP staffers all visit the hospital to be there when she gives birth.

• Hotel Oceanview: Andy, Mr. Carlson and Herb visit Dayton to try and land the advertising account for Vicky Von Vickey jeans. While Mr. Carlson worries about the notorious Dayton poisoner, Herb romances an old high school acquaintance and Andy has trouble with his slide projector.  

• A Mile in My Shoes: When Herb is called for jury duty, Andy takes over as sales manager and soon discovers just how tough it is trying to sell advertising time or collect from deadbeat clients. Meanwhile, Venus becomes acting program director and has to deal with Les’s plan to disguise himself as a black man so that he can do a series of reports based on the book Black Like Me. 

• Bah, Humbug: Once again, Mr. Carlson plans to give the staffers almost no Christmas bonuses. But in a dream brought on by eating one of Johnny Fever’s brownies, the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future visit him to show him the error of his ways.

• Baby, It’s Cold Inside: On a day when the furnace has broken down, Mama Carlson pays a surprise visit to the station and catches Johnny drinking in the broadcast booth. She joins, letting the staff see a new side of her.

• The Painting: At Mr. Carlson’s church auction, Herb buys a painting that Bailey loves. He tries to get Mr. Carlson or Bailey to buy it from him…until he learns that it might be valuable.

• Daydreams: When Mr. Carlson rehearses a dull speech in front of the WKRP staff, all the staffers drift off into daydreams about what they would most like to be: Herb as a Latin-American dictator, Jennifer as a ’30s movie star, Les as a reporter covering the Blitz in 1940, Bailey as the President of the United States, Andy as a radio Mafioso, Venus as a standup comedian, and Johnny as a rock star.

• Frog Story: Herb has accidentally spray-painted his daughter’s pet frog Greenpeace pink and brings the frog to the station trying to find a way to save its life. Meanwhile, Les convinces Johnny that he is suffering from the dreaded “schistosomiasis.”

• Venus and the Man: The station’s cleaning woman asks Venus to convince her big, tough teenage son not to drop out of school.

• Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide Part 1:  When Johnny is forced by contractual obligations to host a TV disco dance show, he adopts the persona of Rip Tide, a sleazy, phony, disco-spinning host.

• Dr. Fever and Mr. Tide Part 2: Johnny regrets his new TV persona when, off the air, he is soon bouncing back and forth between his Rip Tide and Johnny Fever personas, until he starts to realize that the dark side of his personality, as represented by Rip, is taking over.

• Ask Jennifer: When Herb’s choice as host of a new call-in advice show proves unable to go on the air, Jennifer takes over and becomes an instant success…

• I Am Woman: When it is announced that the Flimm Building is to be torn down, Bailey starts a campaign to have the building declared a Cincinnati landmark. Everyone pitches in to help, until Mr. Carlson gets his mother’s permission to build a new and better building.

• Secrets of Dayton Heights: The secret service refuses to grant Les credentials for a Presidential press conference, suspecting him of having radical affiliations. It turns out that the man who raised Les wasn’t his father, and that his real father was a card-carrying Communist.

• Out to Lunch: Herb’s three-martini business lunches with an ad agency representative are causing him to mess up even more than usual, and it begins to seem that his use of alcohol as a sales tool is turning into a drinking problem.

• A Simple Little Wedding: In honor of their twenty-fifth anniversary, Arthur and Carmen Carlson plan to get married again. They want a small, private ceremony, but Mama Carlson has other ideas.

• Nothing to Fear But…: Everyone is in the grip of urban paranoia after the station is robbed.

• Till Debt Do Us Part: When Johnny learns that his first ex-wife is planning to remarry, he is overjoyed at the thought of not having to pay alimony, and celebrates by inviting Bailey to take a trip with him. But he feels less happy about the situation when he meets the obnoxious womanizer his ex-wife is going to marry.  

• Clean Up Radio Everywhere: Dr. Bob Halyers, head of the organization Clean Up Radio Broadcasting (CURB), visits Mr. Carlson with a list of “obscene” songs that he wants the station to stop playing- or else.

Dawn Patrol

Alchemy / Released 7/14/15

After the brutal murder of his beloved brother, a small-town surfer seeks revenge against the gang of merciless thugs he holds responsible. However, when another tragedy brings him face to face with the consequences of his actions, he must seek forgiveness from the very people he despises most. Starring Scott Eastwood (The Longest Ride, Fury, Gran Torino), Rita Wilson, and Jeff Fahey.

Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell: Season 1

Adult Swim / Released 7/14/15

Welcome to Hell, where a hostile work environment is the only work environment. There we meet Gary, an associate demon, as he attempts to capture souls on earth in order to climb the corporate ladder of the underworld. Gary hopes to advance in Hell, but he may be too stupid, lazy and kind-hearted to realize his dreams of promotion. Extras include Deleted Scenes, Promos, Commentaries, Behind the Scenes, Original Short and Screen Tests.

Episodes include:

• Welcome to Hell: Gary and Claude try to convince a pro baseball player to stop thanking God for every bunt single and thank the Devil instead. Unsportsmanlike hilarity ensues.

• Bone Garden: Gary has to protect the Devil’s sex condo from being sold. Also, the Devil’s mistress is Gary’s first love. 

• Take Life by the Horns: A plan to put Satan’s face on the nickel leaves Gary stranded in the Appalachian mountains. Outdoorsy hilarity ensues.

• Schmickler83!: Gary loses his summon word at a concert. Whoever finds it will have total control of Gary. Unwholesome hilarity ensues.

• Devil in the Details: Gary goes “back to school” to help a high school drama class make a Satan glorifying musical.

• People in Hell Want Ice Water: The Devil has his demons compete for a drink of ice water. Cold, refreshing, hilarity ensues.

Kung Fu Killer 

Well Go USA / Released 7/21/15

A vicious killer stalks the streets of Hong Kong, methodically executing top martial arts competitors. Xia (Donnie Yen), a convicted killer and kung fu expert, offers to help police find the killer and put him behind bars in return for his own freedom. The killer eludes them again and again, taunting the cops – and Xia, his new target – to discover his next moves. Xia refuses to play his lethal game…until the killer threatens the woman he loves most. Extras include trailer and featurette.

I, Madman

Shout! Factory / Released 7/21/15

After a spine-tingling paperback catches the imagination of bookstore clerk Virginia, she seeks out the author’s second book, I, Madman. But once she opens the cover, its eerie tale of obsessive love comes to life, catapulting a disfigured, scalpel-wielding killer from the world of fiction onto the streets of Hollywood with one demented goal: to win Virginia’s love, one murder at a time!

Starring Jenny Wright (Near Dark, The Lawnmower Man), Clayton Rohner (April Fool’s Day, The Human Centipede III) and three-time Academy Award winner Randall William Cook (Best Visual Effects, The Lord Of The Rings trilogy) as the mysterious and frightening Malcolm Brand.  Extras include commentary, making of, behind the scenes footage, trailer and gallery.

Scooby-Doo! & KISS: Rock & Roll Mystery

Warner Bros. / Released 7/21/15

Get ready to Rock! Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. Gang team up with the one and only KISS in this all-new, out-of-this-world adventure! We join the Gang at Kiss World – the all-things-Kiss theme park, as they investigate a series of strange hauntings. With help from Kiss, they discover that the Crimson Witch has returned to summon The Destroyer from the alternate dimension of Kissteria! The evil duos ghastly plan, to destroy the earth! Can the Gang’s cunning and Kiss’s power of rock save the day?! Tune in to this Rock and Roll Mystery for some thunderous, heavy FUN! Featurettes include bonus cartoons, blooper reel and Are You a Scooby or a Shaggy?

Last Word: If ever a rock band complemented Scooby-Doo, Kiss is that band.  Ever since their first appearance in a Marvel comic in the Seventies through their television special Kiss Meets The Phantom of The Park, the larger than life characters have found themselves to be pop culture icons of the highest accord.  Now, the band finds a new audience forty years later in this animated feature which places them with the also iconic characters of the Scooby gang.  For a film, this one’s pretty much by the numbers, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.  With several of their biggest hits in the mix, Kiss seamlessly integrates themselves into this colorful, kinetic adventure that surely will generate a smile with the younger set, as well as anyone who grew up watching cartoons and listening to rock n’ roll.  Recommended.

Wild Horses 

Entertainment One / Released 7/21/15

Texas Ranger Samantha Payne reopens a 15-year-old missing person case, and uncovers evidence that suggests that the boy was likely murdered on a ranch belonging to wealthy family man, Scott Briggs. When Scott s estranged son unexpectedly returns home during the investigation, Samantha becomes even more convinced that the Briggs family was involved, and will stop at nothing to discover the truth about the boy s death – even putting her own life in jeopardy. Extras include trailer and making of featurette.

Black Sabbath

Kino Lorber / Released 7/21/15

One of the great horror anthology films of all time, and Mario Bava’s personal favorite of his works, Black Sabbath solidified the director’s reputation as Europe’s maestro of the macabre. In The Telephone… a woman is haunted by menacing phone calls from a former lover. The Wurdulak stars Boris Karloff (The Crimson Cult) as a vampire hunter whose family is stalked by the wandering spirit of an undead ghoul. A Drop Of Water involves a nurse who steals a ring from a corpse – not realizing the curse that is carried with it. This is the AIP English language version of the Mario Bava (The Evil Eye) horror classic, featuring an international cast that includes Michèle Mercier (Angelique) and Mark Damon (Johnny Oro). Extras about commentary.

Mad House

Kino Lorber / Released 7/21/15

Masters of macabre Vincent Price (Tales of Terror), Peter Cushing (The Creeping Flesh) and Robert Quarry (Count Yorga, Vampire) give terrifying performances to die for in this diverting little chiller. When horror star Paul Toombes’ fiancé is brutally killed, he loses more than this job… he also loses his mind. But twelve years after suffering a nervous breakdown, the washed-up horror legend (Price) agrees to do a TV-series based on his old screen creation, the monstrous “Dr. Death”. Soon the cast and crew of the series begin dying in ways similar to the deaths the characters suffered in the actor’s old movies. Editor Jim Clark (Marathon Man) directed this top-notch horror classic based on the novel by Angus Hall (Qualthrough).  Extras include commentary, featurette and trailer.

House of 1,000 Dolls 

Kino Lorber / Released 7/21/15

Two professional illusionists Felix Manderville (Vincent Price, Madhouse) and his wife Rebecca (Martha Hyer, Houseboat) help abduct unsuspecting female victims with their magic tricks for an international ring of white slave traders. While vacationing in Tangiers, American businessman (George Nader, The Million Eyes of Su-Muru) and his wife (Anne Smyrner, Reptilicus) are drawn into a kidnapping plot when their friend (Maria Rohm, Count Dracula) becomes the underground ring’s latest victim. Running against time, they only have a couple of days to find her before she’s gone for good. Harry Alan Towers (The Mangler) under his usual pseudonym Peter Welbeck wrote the screenplay for this top-notch thriller directed by Jeremy Summers (The Vengeance of Fu Manchu).  Extras include commentary and trailers.

Vintage Sci-Fi: 6 Movie Collection

Mill Creek / Released 7/21/15

Includes:

• The 27th Day: An alien give five ordinary people from various countries capsules capable of killing millions of people.Will they use the capsules or will they hold their ground even as they are being hunted down. 

• The Night the World Exploded: Dr. Conway has perfected a machine which he believes will predict earthquakes, and has determined that one will strike California within 24 hours. They discover there is only 4 weeks to Armageddon. It s a race to save the world. 

• The H-Man: Singer Chikako Arai s boyfriend has dissappeared. The police begin to hunt for him and discover the radiation from an atomic bomb has turned people into creatures who can kill by touch. They must hurry and catch these creatures to stop the killings.

• Twelve to the Moon: An international team embarks on an expedition to the moon in an uncommonly spacious rocketship. There they encounter a faceless alien intelligence who conclude that the human race is too immature and dangerous and must be destroyed. 

• Battle in Outer Space: The nations of the Earth unite in a common cause to fight off an invader from outer space. 

• Valley of the Dragons: Two men are having a duel with one another when a comet goes past the earth at low altitude and transports them to the moon which is inhabited by savage human beings. They must work together to survive.

  

Robot Chicken: Season 7

Cartoon Network / Released 7/21/15

Adult Swim’s Emmy Award-winning stop-motion animated series Robot Chicken returns on DVD with 20 all-new episodes from Season 7, including the now famous “Bitch Pudding Special”. Packed with hours of bonus content, Robot Chicken Season 7 will include 20 commentaries from show creators and cast, deleted animatics, outtakes, interviews, behind the scenes, and more.

Robot Chicken: Season 7 features the following 20 episodes: Bitch Pudding Special, G.I. Jogurt, Link’s Sausages, Secret of the Booze, Rebel Appliance, Legion of Super-Gyros, El Skeletorio, Snarfer Image, Up, Up and Buffet, Panthropologie, Catdog on a Stick, Super Guitario Center, Noidstrom Rack, Stone Cold Steve Cold Stone, Walking Dead Lobster, The Hobbit: There and Bennigan’s, The Robot Chicken Lots of Holidays but Don’t Worry Christmas is Still in There Too so Pull the Stick Out of Your Ass Fox News Special, Batman Forever 21, Victoria’s Secret of Nimh, and Chipotle Miserables.  Guest voices include Sebastian Bach, Donald Faison, John Oliver, Alia Shawkat, Rachael Leigh Cook, Soleil Moon Frye, Sung Kang, Maisie Williams, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seth MacFarlane, Breckin Meyer, Larisa Oleynik, Fred Tatasciore, Frank Welker,  George R.R. Martin, Katee Sackhoff, Paul Scheer, Ashley Tisdale,  Gillian Anderson, Kyle Chandler, Rob Corddry, Nina Dobrev, Jessica Paré, J.K. Simmons, , Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Chris O’Donnell, AnnaSophia Robb, Saoirse Ronan, Max Greenfield, Bobby Cannavale, Abraham Benrubi, Nat Faxon, Val Kilmer, Chris Pine, Patrick Stewart,Ginnifer Goodwin, Keegan-Michael Key, Stephen Merchant, David Oyelowo, Randall Park, Jordan Peele, Tim Roth, Jennifer Carpenter, Wil Wheaton, Calista Flockhart, Ben Schwartz, Skeet Ulrich, Zachary Levi, Adrianne Palicki, Brenda Strong, Nathan Fillion, Billy Bob Thornton, and Billy Dee Williams. Extras include commentary, bonus Christmas Special with commentary, featuettes and cut sketches.

Furious

Leomark Studios / Released 7/21/15

Before they became Hollywood Martial Arts legends, Simon Rhee (Terminator Genisys; Nightcrawler; Captain America: The Winter Soldier; The Dark Knight Rises; Inception) and Phillip Rhee (Underdog Kids; Best of the Best movie franchise) starred in this campy cult masterpiece.

Featuring now-classic fight choreography and bizarre special effects, Furious has been pirated by fans all over the world since its first release in 1984. Now digitally remastered and with commentary by Writer/Director Tim Everitt, this favorite of critics and fans alike is finally available in a DVD collector’s edition. Bonus features include: Audio Podcast interview with Tim Everitt by Scarecrow Video, Seattle (August 2013), 2 Original Theatrical Trailers, and Director’s Commentary.

Prime Cut 

Kino Lorber / Released 7/28/15

Hollywood legends Lee Marvin (Monte Walsh) and Gene Hackman (The Package) square off in one of the most explosive screen confrontations ever. Marvin is an underworld enforcer sent to Kansas City to collect money from Hackman, a mysterious mobster who has no intention of paying up. A meat packing plant fronts for Hackman’s real business dealings: drugs and prostitution. Before it ends, hoods will be ground into sausages and beautiful women will be sold like cattle. Michael Ritchie’s breakneck direction propels the action along with the speed of bullets. From a shoot-out at a country fair to the final cataclysmic showdown, Prime Cut is prime excitement! Punctuated with ruthless performances by Marvin and Hackman, and featuring the in-the-flesh screen debut of acting great Sissy Spacek (Carrie), this gangster movie hits hard and cuts deep. Extras include a trailer.

Miracle Mile

Kino Lorber / Released 7/28/15

What would you do if you knew you only had an hour to live? This intense, eerily euphoric romantic thriller stars Anthony Edwards (Top Gun) and Mare Winningham (St. Elmo’s Fire) in a frighteningly plausible story that yanks you by the lapels and draws you into a high-velocity roller coaster. After 30 years of searching, Harry (Edwards) has finally met the girl of his dreams… unfortunately, before they even have a chance to go on their first date, Harry intercepts some chilling news: WWIII has begun and nuclear missiles will destroy Los Angeles in less than an hour! Not sure if this is a prank or an omen, Harry races through L.A., fighting angry mobs of terrified people in desperate search for Julie (Winningham). Steve De Jarnatt (Cherry 2000) stylishly directed this cult-classic that features a stellar cast that includes John Agar, Lou Hancock, Mykelti Williamson, Kurt Fuller and Denise Crosby.  Extras include commentary, Deleted Scenes, Outtakes and Bloopers, Supporting Cast and Crew Reunion, Interview with stars Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham, Alternate Ending and trailers.

Zone Troopers

Kino Lorber / Released 7/28/15

Italy 1944… After a group of US troops witness an alien landing, they are quickly caught up in an adventure involving everything from Nazis to ray guns. An outlandish blend of WWII combat and alien invaders from the producers of Ghoulies, Trancers and Re-Animator features Tim Thomerson (Cherry 2000) and Timothy Van Patten (Class of 1984) as two G.I.’s trapped behind enemy lines. Hitler’s forces are rapidly approaching and all hope seems lost, until the Americans discover the wreckage of an alien spaceship with one its crew still alive. Danny Bilson (The Wrong Guys) made his directorial debut in this original science fiction adventure that co-stars Art LaFleur (Cobra).  Extras include commentary, interview with Tim Thomerson and trailer.

Cherry 2000

Kino Lorber / Released 7/28/15

Need a bounty hunter? She’s your man! In the future, a man travels to the ends of the earth to find the perfect woman. In this fun, futuristic sci-fi adventure, Melanie Griffith (Something Wild) is delightful and unflappable as a futuristic bounty hunter on a mission to find a robot replicant of a rich man’s short-circuited wife. When successful businessman Sam Treadwell (David Andrews, Fight Club) finds that his android wife, Cherry model 2000 (Pamela Gidley, Highway to Hell), has blown a fuse, he hires sexy renegade tracker E. Johnson (Griffith) to find her exact duplicate. But as their journey to replace his perfect mate leads them into the treacherous and lawless region of The Zone. Steve De Jarnatt (Miracle Mile) made his feature-film debut in this badass futuristic thriller featuring a wonderful cast that includes Ben Johnson, Harry Carey Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Brion James, and Michael C. Gwynne.  Extras include commentary, interview with Tim Thomerson, Making of and trailers.

 Ghost Town

Shout! Factory / Released 7/28/15

A dusty ghost town, seemingly abandoned, holds the lives of its original inhabitants in an animated netherworld for 100 years…

When a modern-day sheriff’s deputy is lured to a desolate, spooky ghost town in search of a missing woman, he comes face-to-face with a malevolent spirit from the town’s past. The spell of death and suffering over the undead townspeople must end to set them free from eternal pain. The horrors of a possessed outlaw, in a time-suspended dimension are only the setting for a frightening battle for the mind, nerves and flesh.

Starring Franc Luz (The Nest, When Harry Met Sally), Jimmie F. Skaggs (Oblivion, Puppetmaster), Catherine Hickland (Witchery) and Bruce Glover (Diamonds Are Forever, Chinatown, Walking Tall), Ghost Town is an unnerving, white-knuckle walk into the wild, undead west.

Monte Walsh 

Kino Lorber / Released 7/28/15

Screen legends Lee Marvin (Prime Cut), Jack Palance (Ten Seconds to Hell) and Jeanne Moreau (Viva Maria!) star in this gripping saga that covers the tumultuous final days of the Old West. Facing a changing landscape where barbed wire and railways replace the freedom of the open range, Monte Walsh (Marvin) and his fellow cowboys consider new work opportunities, toy with the idea of “settling down,” and draw their pistols for one last showdown. Forty years after its original theatrical debut, the unbridled spirit of the American frontier rides again. Cinematographer William A. Fraker (A Reflection of Fear) wonderfully directs this realistic western featuring a stellar supporting cast that includes Mitchell Ryan, Jim Davis, G.D. Spradlin, Michael Conrad and Bo Hopkins.  Extras include trailer.

Mystery Science Theater 3000: XXXIII

Shout! Factory / Released 7/28/15

CHOOSE YOUR OWN MST3K ADVENTURE!

You purchase the latest collection of episodes from the beloved TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000. Now you are forced to endure four of cinema’s crimes against humanity. If you think you can take on low-rent gangsters and seedy nightclubs, choose Disc One. If you want to go head to head with a gigantic tarantula, choose Disc Two. If you think you can reform a bunch of 1950s juvenile delinquents, choose Disc Three. And if an old television pilot that somehow wandered into a movie theater doesn’t unnerve you, choose Disc Four.

Or choose to enjoy all of these adventures, because your sherpas are some of the funniest people and robots ever created. The plots meander, the characters mystify you, and the filmmaking upsets you. But you laugh all the way through, so any way you turn, you’ve made the right choice.

Titles Include:

• Daddy-O: Truck driver/drag racer/singer Phil “Daddy-O” Sandifer attempts to solve the murder of his best friend while laboring under the weight of a suspended driver’s license. 

• Earth Vs. The Spider: In this giant-creature feature, a man drives into town to buy a birthday present for his teenage daughter, Carol, and meets a horrific catastrophe. The next day, Carol enlists the help of her boyfriend, Mike, to track down her dad. The kids trace his path to an eerie cave containing a super-sized spider and barely escape with their lives. Naturally, the sheriff doubts their story until it’s too late, and the tarantula has taken over the town. 

• Teen-Age Crime Wave: Jane is on the scene when a robbery occurs, and she is taken into custody with her friend Terry. After Terry’s delinquent boyfriend, Mike, helps them escape, they take refuge in an old farmhouse. Mike becomes unstable and holds the elderly owners of the house at gunpoint. Jane, a reluctant accomplice, tries to ease the situation. Things grow even more tense when the couple’s son arrives home for Thanksgiving.

• Agent For H.A.R.M.: The head of the Human Aetiological Relations Machine pits an agent against a flesh-to-fungus spore gun.

Extras include featurettes, MST Hour wraps, trailers and exclusive Steve Vance mini-posters.

The Erotic Rites of Frankenstein

Kino Lorber / Released 7/28/15

After the death of Victor Frankenstein (Dennis Price), two figures vie for control of his metallic-skinned monster (Fernando Bilbao) and the radical technology that created him: the scientist’s daughter, Vera (Beatriz Savon), and the immortal wizard Cagliostro (Howard Vernon), who is assisted by a blind bird-woman with an unquenchable thirst for blood (Anne Libert).

With The Erotic Rites Of Frankenstein, controversial filmmaker Jess Franco merged his fondness for old-school horror with his unique and perverse tastes in sex and violence, partly inspired by the garish adult European comics of the early 1970s.  Extras include commentary and trailer.

White God

Magnolia / Released 7/28/15

When young Lili (Zsófia Psotta) is forced to give up her beloved dog Hagen because its mixed-breed heritage is deemed “unfit” by The State, she and the dog begin a dangerous journey back towards each other. At the same time, all the unwanted, unloved and so-called “unfit” dogs rise up under a new leader, Hagen, the one-time house pet who has learned all too well from his “Masters” in his journey through the streets and animal control centers how to bite the hands that beats him. Extras include behind the scenes and interviews.

Comet

IFC / Released 7/28/15

Justin Long and Emmy Rossum are star-crossed lovers whose relationship blooms and unravels over the course of six years in this mysterious, dazzlingly original romance.

When a chance encounter brings together the cynical Dell (Long) and the quick-witted Kimberly (Rossum), the stage is set for a tempestuous love affair that unfolds like a puzzle. As the film zigzags back and forth in time from a meteor shower in LA, to an encounter in a Paris hotel room, to a fateful phone call an unforgettable portrait of a relationship emerges.

Sumptuously shot and boasting incredible chemistry between the leads, Comet is a one-of-a-kind cosmic love story.

Helix: The Complete Second Season 

Sony / Released 7/28/15

After barely escaping with their lives, the survivors of Season One attempt to move on from the horrors that took place at Arctic Biosystems. But when their work takes them to a mysterious and remote wooded island, they quickly discover the Ilaria Corporation’s reach is deeper and darker than anyone imagined, and a deadly new virus will present a threat that no one thought possible. Extras include outtakes and deleted scenes.

Includes episodes:

• San Jose: In the second-season premiere, those who survived the horrors of Arctic Biosystems attempt to move on with their lives. However, they find themselves unable to escape the long reach of Ilaria Corporation as they battle a new deadly virus on a mysterious wooded island inhabited by a cult that has no ties with the outside world.

• Reunion: The CDC team continue to investigate the island; at the same time, they come in contact with a sick child who is miraculously healed, which causes Jordan to suspect that something isn’t right about the abbey. Meanwhile, in the future, Walker and Caleb dig up Alan’s grave and make a baffling discovery.

• Scion: Jordan and Peter travel outside the safety of the abbey to retrieve some specimens and discover just what’s living in the woods. At the same time, Sister Amy plots to make the CDC team leave forever.

• Densho: After being stung by a bee, a worker gets sick, leading Kyle to investigate the bees. Meanwhile, Sarah looks for the child who recovered and Peter calls Balleseros for further instructions. In the future, Julia and Hatake get into a fight for life or death.

• Oubliette: Peter reveals his brother’s true identity and gets them both in trouble. Meanwhile, Kyle tries to quarantine the orchard and the infected bee hive but runs into resistance.

• M. Domestica: The CDC team are forced to work together when another outbreak threatens to overwhelm the Abbey. Back in Paris, Julia tries to find an alternative to Ilaria’s NARVIK-C virus.

• Cross-Pollination: Alan comes to, vaguely remembering what he did to Sarah who has to realize she suffered a tragic loss. Elsewhere, Walker decides to go to St. Germain after learning about Brother Michael.

• Vade in Pace: Sister Amy makes a move with her own plans and deals with Michael. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard returns with news that the outbreak has spread and orders the CDC team to evacuate to another island but complications arise.

• Ectogenesis: Julia arrives at the Island along with Sergio where they meet Peter at the Abbey. Meanwhile, Alan, Kyle and Lt. Winger go into the woods searching for what may be a cure for the pathogen.

• Mother: As Kyle gets worse, Soren takes the team to the Bleeding Tree. At the Abbey, Peter learns about Michael’s breeding program, and Julia offers a new idea how to grant Amy immortality in exchange for Mother.

• Plan B:As the team prepares to evacuate the island, they learn that the Navy has already decided to make sure no one leaves the island by implementing a deadly Plan B. Alan’s only hope is to find the cure. Meanwhile, Peter and Anne start to making plans for their future together.

• The Ascendant: Alan finally finds a cure and is able to save Kyle. Meanwhile, Peter takes over the Abbey under his new name “Eli” and stops Kyle, Sarah and Soren from leaving the island. Alan and Julia find the Mother Tree.

• O Brave New World: Sarah seeks help from Walker to get the mycosis cure and her team off of the island. Meanwhile Alan decides to destroy Mother but is interrupted by Peter leading to unexpected outcomes for everyone. Meanwhile, Sister Amy seeks to get her revenge on Anne.

The Divergent Series: Insurgent

Summit Entertainment/ Released 8/4/15

The Divergent Series: Insurgent raises the stakes for Tris (Shailene Woodley) as she searches for answers and allies in this star- powered, action-packed second adventure from the Divergent series. On the run and targeted by ruthless faction leader Jeanine (Kate Winslet), Tris fights to protect the people she loves, facing one impossible challenge after another as she and Four (Theo James) race to unlock the truth about the past – and ultimately the future – of their world. Extras include commentary. marketing gallery and feature length behind the scenes look at the film.

Strike Back: The Complete Third Season

HBO Home Video/ Released 8/4/15

Cinemax’s first scripted primetime drama series returns. A high-octane, globe-spanning thriller, Strike Back focuses on two members of Section 20, a secret British anti-terrorist organization: Michael Stonebridge (Philip Winchester), a consummate British soldier still struggling to overcome tragedy in his life, and Damien Scott (Sullivan Stapleton), a disgraced U.S. Delta Force operative who has found redemption with S-20. In Season 3, the series will have a true global canvas, opening in Colombia – with parallel missions in Beirut, Budapest, Russia and Germany – and following a trail of drug money that is funding terrorists in the Middle East. Extras include commentary and featurettes.

Episodes include:

• Part One: Season 3 finds Scott and the mysterious agent Rachel Dalton in the Kenyan desert securing the transfer of a Libyan functionary seeking asylum. Back in Britain, Stonebridge is training Section 20 recruits. Nothing goes as planned for either of them.

• Part Two: Taken hostage in Mogadishu by Waabri and his girlfriend Asmara, Scott and Dalton escape with the help of Stonebridge and Richmond. Sinclair is replaced as leader of Section 20. Michael and Kerry rekindle their relationship.

• Part Three: Still tracking down the triggers in Algeria, Scott and Stonebridge ally with Markunda, an exotic leader of a nomadic tribe to catch Othmani, the brother of an Al Qaeda leader, El Soldat.

• Part Four: El Soldat’s forces are preparing to assault the farmhouse where Stonebridge, Scott, Markunda, and Othmani are holed up. Sinclair continues to question Dalton’s command style. Karl Matlock continues to make inroads to acquire the triggers.

• Part Five: Section 20 races to intercept a former South African nuclear scientist, Peter Evans, from Matlock. At the airport, they run into a team of Mossad agents who want to kill Evans. Section 20 learns that Knox is behind loss of the triggers.

• Part Six: Stonebridge’s mistake allows Matlock to capture Evans. He makes amends by enlisting Ava Knox to go against her father. Sullivan tries to convince Rebecca to leave Mossad.

• Part Seven: Political prisoner and former Zimbabwe leader Walter Lutulu is broken out of prison by Matlock. Section 20 is breached and its members imprisoned with dire consequences.

• Part Eight: Lilian Lutulu learns who orchestrated her father’s assassination. Scott makes a promise to her to kill Knox. Down one critical person on the team, Section 20 raids Knox’s camp in an attempt to retrieve the triggers.

• Part Nine: Stonebridge warns he can’t guarantee to regain control over his obsession with wife-killer Craig, but is told he’s too invaluable for the team to consider expulsion, especially to balance maverick Scott in duo operations. One of the now assembled warheads is precipitously transported by the client, South Nigerian anti-western rebels, represented by reputable lawyer Christian Lucas, and explodes in a Johannesburg township when arrested by shooting police. Damien still hopes on collaboration with CIA renegade Christy, but is becomes clear she sold out to the terrorists.

• Part Ten: Knox turns on his incompetent Nigerian partners, allowing the to be arrested, and even on his own security chief, who protest at abandoning the strong Africa project. Mike gets his confrontation with Craig but spares his life, while a female officer is killed. The nuclear bombs are traced to Cairo, this time for financial blackmail purposes.

Far From the Madding Crowd

20th Century Fox/ Released 8/4/15

Carey Mulligan stars as a headstrong Victorian beauty in this sweeping romantic drama, based on the literary classic by Thomas Hardy. Mulligan plays Bathsheba Everdene, an independent woman who attracts three different suitors: a sheep farmer; a dashing soldier; and a prosperous, older bachelor. This timeless story of Bathsheba’s passions explores the nature of relationships, love and resilience. Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes and extended ending.

Last Word: really thought this film was going to be good. The trailer made it seem beautiful, heart-wrenching, interesting.

No. No no. It’s a nineteenth century soap opera that moves slower than molasses dripping from a non-greased measuring cup. Cary Mulligan plays young, independent Bathsheba Everdeen. I know. I kept muttering, “Katniss!” each time they said her last name. Bathsheba is inexplicably irresistible to all sorts of men – a kind, shy, handsome farmer, a semi-creepy, disheveled middle-aged man, and a douche-y, manipulative soldier. We go on an empty journey of irrational infatuations and unwarranted marriage proposals. Literally – each guy proposes to Ms. Everdeen within half an hour of meeting her. And why?

Bathsheba is supposed to be a strong, independent woman. She inherits and helps run her own farm, she sells her own grain, she gets down and dirty bathing sheep. She is most definitely a capable lady—a rare and perhaps frowned upon characteristic of women in the 1800’s. But the character is rude and arrogant instead of inspiring. She’s especially indecent to the one good man in the film, the farmer, Mr. Gabriel Oak (Matthias Schoenaerts). So, why does he like her?

She lounges on his truck for half a minute, admires his dog and then he proposes. And Bathsheba actually laughs. Very off-putting. Their “relationship continues” when she offers him a position at her farm once his young dog leads his entire flock of sheep off a cliff. Yeah. Necessary scene? Watching tons of sheep crash bloodily into sharp rocks on a beach? I think not. Let’s look at the second suitor, Mr. William Boldwood (Michael Sheen), an awkward, older man, who falls for Bathsheba upon receiving a valentine, which she intended to be a joke. So she’s rather cruel to him and yet he still desperately, like really desperately, wants to marry her. Poor guy. Enter suitor number three, the seductive asshole soldier, Frank Troy (Tom Sturridge). He wins over Bathsheba by showing off his expert swordsmanship (innuendo much?) and grabbing her crotch. Oh how to swoon a woman! 

The film then becomes an entangled mess of who likes who, who befriends who, who’s betraying who. It’s predictable and boring. Madding Crowd didn’t need to be two hours long. The film trudges along with painfully drawn out eye-gazing and long walks through the woods. Just speak already! Walk faster! And why are these men gazing so fondly at and walking in wake of Bathsheba? She’s a jerk calling herself “independent”. She’s just immature and indecisive. And I hate saying that because Cary Mulligan is an exquisite actress. And I wouldn’t say the overall acting is bad. I’d say the story is ridiculous and becomes more and more like a day-time-mommy-show that might replace All My Children. Seriously. Characters disappear, come back to life, pathetically cry, die, murder, kiss, etc.

I do want to give credit to the sets, wardrobes and environment. The outfits are impeccable and attractive. The scenery is gorgeous and the camera swarms through beautiful woods, farmlands and valleys. The lighting is always soft and brings a nostalgic quality to the film. The soundtrack is also lovely and makes an empty story featuring depthless characters feel epic and sentimental. Too bad though. The story spoils the atmosphere. Far From The Madding Crowd should have remained a trailer. It was so appealing contained within two and a half minutes. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

Innerspace

Warner Bros. / Released 8/4/15

Test pilot Tuck Pendleton (Dennis Quaid) volunteers to test a special vessel for a miniaturization experiment. Accidentally injected into a neurotic hypochondriac, Jack Putter (Martin Short), Tuck must convince Jack to find his ex-girlfriend, Lydia Maxwell (Meg Ryan), to help him extract Tuck and his ship and re-enlarge them before his oxygen runs out. Extras include commentary and trailer.

Last Word: Joe Dante’s Innerspace is a live-action cartoon in the best way possible.  Bold, outragous and funny, Dante takes a familiar sci-fi trope and propels it into a kinetically charged adventure.  Perfectly cast with Quaid as the cocky pilot, it’s Short who steals the movie with physical comedy and an over the top performance of a man who has microscopic ship in his body.  What’s even more remarkable is the success of the film as a buddy comedy considering Quaid and Short only have a few moments sharing the same frame together.  Dante also stacks the film with many of his regulars including Kevin McCarthy, Robert Picardo, Wendy Schaal, William Schallert, Henry Gibson and Dick Miller as well as other familiar faces including Vernon Wells, Orson Bean, and Fiona Lewis. Despite the fact that the film has some sci-fi elements, Innerspace has somehow escaped dating itself and is as fresh and funny today as it was in 1987.

The Salvation

IFC Films/ Released 8/4/15

The mighty Mads Mikkelsen unleashes a maelstrom of bloodshed in the Wild West in the white-knuckle tale of revenge The Salvation.

Jon (Mikkelsen), a former Danish soldier who survived the 1864 war against Prussia and Austria, has moved to America’s frontier to start a peaceful new life. It’s now 1871 and Jon and his brother Peter (Mikael Persbrandtnj) welcome Jon’s wife and son to the New World. Unfortunately, things go very badly, and Jon winds up doing battle with Delarue (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), a brutal strongman who has the whole town in his pocket. The sheriff (Douglas Henshall) looks the other way at Delarue’s random killings, and the mayor/realtor/undertaker (Jonathan Pryce,) simply sees profits in all the carnage.

Exploding with eye-popping action, dazzlingly dramatic frontier landscapes, and a smoldering performance by Eva Green, The Salvation is a rip-roaring, blood-spattered saga of sin and redemption. Danish director Kristian Levring, a charter member of the groundbreaking Dogme filmmaking movement, reworks canonical Western movie elements to create a visually stunning and original portrait of violence, justice and redemption.

True Story

20th Century Fox / Released 8/4/15

Academy Award Nominees James Franco and Jonah Hill star in this mesmerizing thriller from cowriter-director Rupert Goold, based on a chilling real-life story. After journalist Michael Finkel (Hill) is fired from The New York Times for embellishing a story, he learns that accused murderer Christian Longo (Franco) has been claiming to be him. Hoping this story will save his career, Finkel begins interviewing Longo in prison. But soon, the men find themselves in an eerie game of cat and mouse in this psychological drama that also stars Oscar Nominee Felicity Jones. Extras include deleted scenes, alternate ending, gallery, featurettes and commentary.

Child 44 

Lionsgate/ Released 8/4/15

After a friend’s son is found dead, Soviet secret-police officer Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy) suspects his superiors are covering up the truth. When Leo dares to raise questions, he is demoted and exiled to a provincial outpost with his wife (Noomi Rapace). There, Leo soon discovers other mysterious deaths with similar circumstances and convinces his new boss (Gary Oldman) that a deranged serial killer is on the loose – and must be stopped before he strikes again in this electrifying thriller. Extras include featurette.

A Little Chaos
 

Universal/ Released 8/4/15

Academy Award-winner Kate Winslet stars in this romantic drama as Sabine, a strong-willed and talented landscape designer, who is chosen to build one of the main gardens at the new palace at Versailles in the court of King Louis XIV (Alan Rickman). In her new position of power, she challenges gender and class barriers while also becoming professionally and romantically entangled with the court’s renowned landscape artist Andre Le Notre (Matthias Schoenaerts).

I Love Lucy: The Ultimate Season 2

Paramount/ Released 8/4/15

The most celebrated comedy in television history arrives in sparkling high-definition, featuring in night-of-broadcast form with sponsor openings and closings that had originally aired from September 1952 to June 1953. Viewers also have the option of watching the program with the more traditional “heart” openings and closings without commercial interruptions as well. A highlight to the second season collection is the famous “Job Switching” episode, with the iconic, laugh-out-loud scene of Lucy and Ethel scrambling to contain a chocolate factory conveyor belt. Viewers can experience the classic episode in multiple ways with this collection, which includes the original black-and-white broadcast form with option for audio commentary, as well as the newly colorized version, which first aired on CBS December 7, 2014, and even in its rarely seen French-Canadian version, including unique opening and closing graphics and French-Canadian audio track.

This collection also includes the groundbreaking “pregnancy episodes,” including the touching moment at the Tropicana when Lucy breaks the news to Ricky that they are going to have a baby, and when “Lucy Goes to the Hospital,” in which Lucy gives birth to their son.

Jam-packed with tons of special features, the collection also includes I Love Lucy: The Movie , comprised of three season-one episodes edited together with additional interstitial material to form a seamless storyline.  I Love Lucy: The Movie is making its debut in beautiful high-definition with this release. Also included in the set are scenes from “Stars in the Eye,” a CBS special from November 1952, featuring the I Love Lucy cast, an I Love Lucy: The Movie comedy sketch originally presented on “The Red Skelton Show” in May 1953, select episode galleries, guest cast profiles, production notes, radio broadcasts and much more.

Includes the episodes:

• Job Switching: Ricky wants Lucy to try working for a week, so she and Ethel get jobs at a candy factory, where they are totally inept-especially at wrapping chocolates-due to a speeding conveyor belt that has them stuffing chocolates in their mouths, blouses, and hats.

• The Saxophone: Lucy plots to join Ricky’s band for a series of one-night engagements by trying to play a saxophone. There’s only one problem: she can’t play a single note.

• The Anniversary Present: Lucy thinks that Ricky is pitching woo with a sophisticated neighbor. The woman is actually a jeweler who Ricky has commissioned to fashion a pearl necklace to surprise Lucy with on their anniversary. Lucy takes to spying before the deal can go down and almost loses out on her big surprise.

• The Handcuffs: One of Lucy’s practical jokes backfires when she and Ricky are locked without a key in a pair of antique handcuffs.

• The Operetta: Lucy and Ethel decide to write an operetta, and Lucy pays for the costumes and scenery with a post-dated check. Meanwhile, Ethel and Ricky persuade the chorus to join in whenever Lucy, playing “Camille, Queen of the Gypsies,” starts to sing.

• Vacation from Marriage: Bored with married life, Lucy and Ethel decide that a few days away from their husbands would be a welcome change.

• The Courtroom: The Ricardos buy the Mertzes a new TV set for their wedding anniversary. When Ricky tries hooking it up, the picture tube explodes! In retaliation, Fred marches up to the Ricardo apartment and kicks in their own picture tube. The whole issue ends up with both couples in court.

• Redecorating: Ricky decides to fool Lucy into thinking she’s won a new home furnishings contest. But the joke backfires when Lucy sells all their furniture.
  

• Ricky Loses His Voice: Lucy is delighted to learn she is pregnant-but how to tell Ricky? At lunch, he’s too preoccupied with work to listen to her, then it’s off to the club-where Lucy finds the right moment and just the right way to tell him. 

• Pregnant Women Are Unpredictable: With the baby coming, Ricky decides that Lucy should stay in bed while he does the chores.Lucy thinks it is just because of the baby.

• Lucy’s Show Biz Swan Song: Despite her pregnancy, Lucy wants to appear in Ricky’s Gay Nineties revue at the Tropicana. After a disastrous audition, Lucy disguises herself and sneaks into the barbershop quartet number, and then proceeds to ruin it. 
  

• Lucy Hires an English Tutor: Lucy wants her baby to be raised in the “proper vocal environment,” so she hires a tutor to teach Ricky proper English diction. The tutor turns out to be a struggling actor, and hopes that Ricky will give him a break. Lucy, Ricky, Fred, and Ethel all sing a ridiculous song composed by the tutor.

• Ricky Has Labor Pains: Ricky develops “labor pains” because he is jealous of the attention being lavished on the expectant Lucy. So she decides to throw him a “daddy shower,” which Fred turns into a “stag party,” which Lucy and Ethel crash.

• Lucy Becomes a Sculptress: No child should grow up without artistic influence, so Lucy takes up sculpting. When Ricky scoffs, Lucy arranges for an art critic to arrive and judge her work. When her sculpture accidentally breaks, though, she ends up disguising herself as a bust to fool the critic.

• Lucy Goes to the Hospital: With the baby due at any moment, Ricky and the Mertzes carefully rehearse the trip to the hospital. But when the fateful moment actually comes, things don’t go quite so smoothly. When they eventually get there, Lucy stays in labor for quite a while, so Ricky goes to do a show at the club. He is in full tribal face makeup when the call comes from the hospital, and he rushes over still in costume!

• Sales Resistance: Convinced his wife is a sucker for a sales pitch, Ricky demands that she return the vacuum cleaner she bought from a door-to-door salesman. Instead, she tries (unsuccessfully) to sell it. Ricky insists that he’ll return it-and ends up buying a refrigerator. 

• The Inferiority Complex: When no one laughs at her jokes or wants her to be their bridge partner, Lucy comes to the conclusion that she is inferior to everyone else. Worried by Lucy’s behavior, Ricky goes to the psychiatrist (or “fizz-a-key-a-tryst” as Ricky pronounces it,) to find the remedy. But it turns out that this doctor’s “remedy” isn’t exactly what Ricky had in mind.

• The Club Election: Because they both want to be president of the Wednesday Afternoon Fine Arts League, Lucy and Ethel both engage in cut-throat competition. Prior to the elections, Lucy and Ethel independently engage in a little “spywork.” It seems that half the club plans on voting for Lucy and the other half plans to vote for Ethel. But there is one undecided vote–that of the new member, Ruth Knickerbocker. So Lucy and Ethel both go to extremes to sway Knickerbocker’s vote.

• The Black Eye: Lucy misses catching a book tossed to her by Ricky, and winds up with a black eye that Fred and Ethel are convinced was intentional. Trying to patch things up for the Ricardos, Fred sends Lucy flowers, but inadvertedly uses his own name instead of Ricky’s.

• Lucy Changes Her Mind: Whether it’s getting dressed or ordering dinner at a restaurant, Lucy seems unable to finish anything without changing her mind. Ricky loses his temper, so Lucy tries to play a trick with an old, unfinished love letter to a beau from high school. Fred warns Ricky of Lucy’s plot, and Lucy is soon in over her head.

• No Children Allowed: When a cranky tenant (Elizabeth Patterson, in her first appearance as Mrs. Trumbull,) threatens to move because of Little Ricky’s loud crying, Ethel makes it clear that her friendship with Lucy is more important than a rental agreement. But Ethel doesn’t let the Ricardos forget her loyalty.

• Lucy Hires a Maid: Lucy’s sleepless nights with the new baby are exhausting, so the Ricardos hire a maid. Unfortunately, this new maid turns out to be a terrible shrew, who takes better care of herself than of Lucy or the apartment. Unable to get the gumption to fire her, Lucy wrecks the apartment, hoping it will make the maid quit.

• The Indian Show: Even the arrival of the baby hasn’t dampened Lucy’s showbiz aspirations. Wanting to get into the new Indian act at the Tropicana, Lucy pays off one of the performers and appears herself, carrying Little Ricky papoose-style on her back. 

• Lucy’s Last Birthday: When it seems that everyone has forgotten Lucy’s birthday, she becomes depressed and wanders around town. She meets the “Friends of the Friendless” in the park, and joins the ranks of the unhappy mob. They all march to Ricky’s club to protest-where a surprise party is waiting for the birthday girl! 

• The Ricardos Change Apartments: Now that they have Little Ricky, Lucy insists they need more room, and wants to change apartments with one of the other tenants. She convinces a reluctant Ricky by cluttering their apartment with baby things and assorted junk. 

• Lucy Is Matchmaker: Lucy plays matchmaker when she meets a friend of the Mertzes, who happens to be an eligible bachelor. His line of work? He’s a lingerie salesman, a fact that just *might* get her (and Ethel) into trouble when her matchmaking efforts inevitably backfire.
  

• Lucy Wants New Furniture: When Lucy buys a new sofa and coffee table without Ricky’s permission, he says she’ll have to pay for it out of her allowance. To save money, Lucy attempts to make her own clothes and gives herself a home perm.

• The Camping Trip: Lucy develops an annoying attachment to Ricky. She finally goes too far when she decides to join him and his friends on a camping trip. Fred suggests that Ricky take Lucy into the wilderness for some “camping practice” to scare her, but Lucy and Ethel team up to thwart their husbands.

• Ricky and Fred Are TV Fans: With Ricky and Fred glued to a TV fight, their wives go to the local cafe, where service is so slow that Lucy makes change for herself at the cash register and the girls are arrested. They finally prove their innocence and get home to husbands who didn’t know they were gone.

• Never Do Business With Friends: A beautiful friendship is almost ruined when the Ricardos sell their old washing machine to the Mertzes, who find that it needs repairs and demand their money back, but then change their mind again. In the ensuing argument over who owns the machine, the couples push the washer off the balcony.

Barely Lethal

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 8/4/15

Megan Walsh (Hailee Steinfeld) is a teenage special ops agent who yearns for a normal adolescence. After faking her own death she assumes the role of an exchange student and quickly learns that surviving the treacherous waters of a typical American high school can be even more difficult than international espionage. Also starring Samuel L. Jackson, Jessica Alba, Sophie Turner, Dove Cameron, and Thomas Mann. Extras include commentary, featurette and deleted scenes.

Adult Beginners

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 8/4/15

A young, hipster entrepreneur (Nick Kroll) crashes and burns on the eve of his company’s big launch. With his entire life in disarray, he leaves Manhattan to move in with his estranged pregnant sister (Rose Byrne), brother-in-law (Bobby Cannavale) and three year-old nephew in the suburbs – only to become their manny. Faced with real responsibility, he may finally have to grow up – but not without some bad behavior first. Extras include making of.

Snow Girl and The Dark Crystal

Well Go USA/ Released 8/4/15

Directed by Academy Award Winner, Peter Pau, Snow Girl and the Dark Crystal is a big budget romantic fantasy adventure about the legendary hero Zhong Kui, a fabled warrior with mysterious powers who is forced to conquer the realms of Heaven and Hell to save his people and the woman he loves. Extras include featurettes.

Big House, U.S.A.

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/4/15

Broderick Crawford (Down Three Dark Streets), Ralph Meeker (Kiss Me Deadly), Charles Bronson (Mr. Majestyk), Lon Chaney, Jr. (The Black Sleep) and William Talman (The Hitch-Hiker) star in this tough and realistic crime drama about a gang of ruthless convicts who execute a successful prison break to secure a $200,000 loot hidden in Colorado’s Royal Gorge National Park. This classic thriller was directed by Howard W. Koch (Shield For Murder) and written by John C. Higgens (He Walked by Night) with beautiful black-and-white cinematography by Gordon Avil (The Champ). Extras include trailer gallery.

Storm Fear

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/4/15

Storm Fear is a classic film noir starring, produced and directed by Cornel Wilde (The Naked Prey) as a wounded bank robber, Charlie Blake hiding out with his gang at his brother, Fred (Dan Duryea, Scarlet Street) and sister-in-law, Elizabeth’s (Jean Wallace, No Blade of Grass) farmhouse during a snowstorm. As time passes the criminals are anxious to move on, but need to rest so Charlie has time to recover, complicating matters more is Charlie’s love for Elizabeth with whom he once had an affair. The stellar supporting cast includes Lee Grant (The Landlord), Steven Hill (A Child is Waiting) and Dennis Weaver (Duel) – with an adapted screenplay by the great Horton Foote (To Kill a Mockingbird) and stunning black-and-white cinematography by Joseph LaShelle (Laura). Extras include trailer gallery.

He Ran All the Way

Kino Lorber / Released 8/4/15

Nick Robey (John Garfield, The Postman Always Rings Twice) is a dim-witted thug who lives with his mother and scrapes by on petty crime. He and his slick accomplice plot a big-time payroll robbery, but their plan goes horribly awry when they’re discovered by a uniformed policeman, a shootout ensues leaving Al and the cop wounded and Nick on the run. While seeking cover, Nick meets Peggy Dobbs (Shelley Winters, Lolita), a lonely young girl who takes Nick to her family’s apartment, while there the paranoid thief decides to take the family hostage until he can escape. This was the great John Garfield’s final film, he died less than a year later at age thirty-nine from heart complications as accusations of his involvement with the Communist Party and his refusal to name names before the HUAC led to his blacklisting in Hollywood. During the film’s initial run, director John Berry (Tension) and screenwriters Dalton Trumbo (Lonely are the Brave) and Hugo Butler (The Southerner) were un-credited due to Hollywood blacklisting during the Red Scare. Stunning black-and-white cinematography by the legendary James Wong Howe (Hud). Extras include trailer gallery.

Foreign Intrigue

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/4/15

Foreign Intrigue was one of the first major Hollywood films to be based on a popular TV series. The film was written, produced and directed by Sheldon Reynolds (Assignment to Kill), who has created and produced the 1951 TV series with the same title. Screen icon Robert Mitchum (Man with the Gun) stars as a curious press agent who is determined to investigate the past of his enigmatic, very wealthy and recently murdered employer and ends up in Europe, caught in a complex, deadly situation involving extortion, espionage, romance. The international cast includes Genevieve Page (El Cid), Ingrid Thulin (Wild Strawberries) and Frederic O’Brady (Mr. Arkadin). Extras include trailer gallery.

The Affair: Season 1

Showtime/ Released 8/4/15

The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship. Noah (Dominic West) is a New York City schoolteacher and novelist who is happily married, but resents his dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison (Ruth Wilson) is a young waitress trying to piece her life and marriage back together in the wake of a tragedy. The provocative drama unfolds when Alison and Noah meet in Montauk at the end of Long Island.  Cast also includes Maura Tierney and Joshua Jackson.  Extras include featurettes, character profiles and episodes of Happyish, Ray Donovan and Madame Secretary.

Episodes include:

• Episode One: Welcome to “The End of the World.” Noah Solloway has escaped the city with his family to his in-laws’ estate in eastern Long Island. He’s joined by his loving wife, Helen, and their four precocious children. At the same time, local Montauk waitress Alison Lockhart struggles with her husband, Cole, to move past a recent tragedy. In a chance encounter, Noah and Alison meet and connect. But in this bucolic beach town, it’s impossible to avoid someone you yearn to see again. 

• Episode Two: As the Butler estate readies for the annual summer party, Noah can’t escape the allure of the mysterious Alison. She, meanwhile, bends under the emotional debt owed to her mother-in-law. But as aspects of their separate lives start to weave together, the two are forced to consider an inevitability.

• Episode Three: With his novel gaining traction, Noah turns to Alison to help him research the local culture – but their innocent tour of Montauk proves more dangerous than expected. Meanwhile, Cole takes a stand on behalf of his community, and Helen deals with business back in Brooklyn.

• Episode Four: In order to spend time together apart from their families, Noah and Alison take a day trip to remote Block Island. But as the two grow closer, they quickly learn that intimacy can be a double-edged sword.

• Episode Five: As passions flare behind closed doors, Alison and Noah are forced to confront new obstacles at home. Alison gets a surprise visit from her estranged mother, Athena, while Noah struggles with the behavior of his daughter, Whitney.

• Episode Six: After Noah spends a night out with his best friend Max, he discovers there’s more to Alison than he’s been led to believe. At home, his wife Helen hopes to make the most of the family’s time in Montauk. Meanwhile, Alison and her husband Cole work to keep the Lockharts from danger.

• Episode Seven: With summer coming to an end, the Solloways are returning to Brooklyn – a welcome relief for Noah following recent revelations. Meanwhile, Cole is forced to confront Alison when the Lockhart side business hits too close to home. And Helen and Noah grapple with the results of an unexpected emergency.

• Episode Eight: Distracted by her burgeoning small business, Helen tasks Noah with representing the family at a literary award ceremony for her father, Bruce. A chance encounter with Alison and her grandmother leads to an uncomfortable truth.

• Episode Nine: A revelation about their daughter Whitney makes Noah and Helen realize their troubled marriage is directly affecting their children. Bending under remorse, Alison spirals towards a reckoning.

• Episode Ten: The disappearance of Whitney spurs Helen to scrutinize Noah’s relationship with Alison and her family. Cole searches for answers at Lockhart Ranch. Meanwhile, Detective Jeffries makes significant progress on his case.

Burying The Ex

Image Entertainment/ Released 8/4/15 Best Buy Exclusive Through 10/16

It seemed like a great idea when all-around nice guy Max (Anton Yelchin) and his beautiful girlfriend, Evelyn (Ashley Greene) moved in together. But when Evelyn turns out to be a controlling, manipulative nightmare, Max knows it’s time to call it quits. There’s just one problem: he’s terrified of breaking up with her. Fate steps in when Evelyn is the victim of a fatal, freak accident, leaving Max single and ready to mingle. Just as Max is thinking about moving on with what could be his dream girl, Olivia (Alexandra Daddario) – Evelyn has returned from the grave and is determined to get her boyfriend back…even if that means transforming him into one of the undead.

Last Word: Filmmaker and cinegeek royalty director Joe Dante (Gremlins, Innerspace, The Howling) disappoints in this derivative and disappointing entry into the already overcrowded zombie genre. Anton Yelchin plays Max, a horror geek with dreams of opening his own horror themed store.  He’s dating the overbearing and possessive Evelyn, played Ashley Greene. A convenient devil wish doll ensures that Max and Evelyn will be together forever, that is until Evelyn is hit and killed by a bus, freeing Max from the albatross and opening the way for him to date Olivia, owner of the horror themed ice cream shop, “I Scream”. And then, Evelyn comes back as a zombie and expects Max to be with her forever (and ever). Which is exactly what the running time of this film felt like.

Unlike other Dante films, this one’s sluggish. Known for his talent and skill to juggle comedy and scares, Dante fails to do either here.  The script, which is an expanded version of a short previously written and directed by screenwriter Alan Trezza, was championed by Dante as being, “funny and different”. Unfortunately, it’s neither.

Reminiscent of Bob Balaban’s 1993 film My Boyfriend’s Back and last year’s Life After Beth, Burying The Ex feels stale. Especially if you’ve seen Warm Bodies, Death Becomes Her, Idle Hands, Shaun of The Dead, Zombieland and Paranorman; all of which handle comedy and zombie far better. The underwritten script is at least well serviced by Yelchin and Daddario, who have a nice chemistry with one another.  Less successful is Ashley Greene, who is neither funny nor particularly appealing in any capacity. Burying The Ex is an addition to Dante’s filmography that’s better left six feet under.  

The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin

Public Media Distribution/ Released 8/4/15

Daniel is a 35-year-old computer programmer from Pittsburgh who lives a busy life. Along with balancing work, his marriage, and raising his three boys, Daniel spends much of his time actively involved in all things Bitcoin. After discovering Bitcoin in 2011, his love and obsession for the crypto-currency was born, revealing an uncharted world of new possibilities for him to explore.

In this program, viewers take a journey through the rapidly growing world of Bitcoin and along the way, follow the stories of entrepreneurs and startups that are helping shape the new financial frontier. Viewers go inside the competitive mining market and the various subcultures within the Bitcoin community and encounter a variety of characters and opinions.  The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin examines the social and political impact of an open-source digital currency. Will the rise of Bitcoin bring a monetary paradigm shift that will forever change the world? Special features include over 30 minutes of bonus video, including Remembering Bitcoinica, Bitcoinica, and Bitcoiners on Bitcoin!

Hot Pursuit 

Warner Home Video/ Released 8/11/15

Academy Award winner Reese Witherspoon is Officer Cooper, an uptight and by-the-book cop trying to protect a federal witness, Daniella Riva (Sofia Vergara), the vivacious and outgoing widow of a drug boss. As the two polar opposites race through Texas, they find themselves pursued by everyone from crooked cops to murderous gunmen. But their greatest obstacle to making it out alive may be themselves, in this high-action, high-hilarity road-trip comedy. Extras include featurettes, alternate ending and gag reel.

Last Word: I was sick of Sofia Vergara two seasons of Modern Family ago. And Reese Witherspoon. Come on love, you just wowed us with Wild.

Why? Why this now?  As I suspected it might, Hot Pursuit is void of plot and sentiment but full of cleavage—a constant gag that gets old after the fourth extreme close-up inside a thirty second period.  The supposed point of the film: Officer Cooper (Witherspoon) must help Mrs. Reva (Vergara), the wife of a mobster, get to Dallas to testify against the notorious leader of a drug cartel.

As the daughter of a renowned cop (whom we never meet), you’d think Cooper (Witherspoon) would be an expert officer instead of a neurotic klutz with zero field talent. And Mrs. Reva (Vergara) could have been given a back-story that rationalized her constant attempts to abandon Cooper’s protection. Witherspoon and Vergara are talented and an amusing pairing, so it’s a shame they were forced to work with such a shitty script and story, if you can call it that.

Hot Pursuit features everything a typical trying-to-be-funny cop movie might have: jumps from windows, awkward interactions with strangers—Jim Gaffigan makes a pointless cameo, car chases (or bus-chase rather), a ridiculous “romance”, and dirty-cop twists. Yawn. The film skips along frantically as Cooper continues to speed-recite cop codes and babble endlessly in an annoying southern accent. Witherspoon has done the accent well before (think of Sweet Home Alabama), but in Hot Pursuit, the voice is exaggerated and unintelligent.

And on the subject of accents – Vergara is a smart actress, I’d like to see her rely far less on making her voice as obnoxious as possible for comedic value. It isn’t working. It’s cringe-worthy. But perhaps that’s what Hot Pursuit is about: how annoying can two smart actresses become? How many insults can be made about their accents, cleavage, height and age?  Really? The jokes and jabs are repetitive, stupid, and unnecessary. Like I said, I can only mention the poor qualities of this film because there is no plot to discuss.                        



The best part of Hot Pursuit is the fifty-second blooper reel at the film’s close. I promise, if director Anne Fletcher had produced an hour and a half of bloopers, she might have had an excellent success under her belt.

Person of Interest: Season 4

Warner Home Video/ Released 8/11/15

The watchers are now targets: the malevolent artificial intelligence named Samaritan has come online, And with the full, secretive backing of the U.S. government, it is subtly surveilling And manipulating lives toward its diabolical purposes – And relentlessly hunting down the Person of Interest team. Reese (Jim Caviezel), Finch (Michael Emerson), Shaw (Sarah Shahi) And Root (Amy Acker) have so far escaped into new identities, but they And NYPD Detective Fusco (Kevin Chapman) constantly risk exposure as they continue to execute The Machine’s missions to protect average citizens from unseen dangers. The group suffers a setback when one of them is captured by tech corporation Decima And faces a possibly mind-altering fate, while the rise of a sinister cadre called The Brotherhood makes their crimefighting crusade all the more perilous. Extras include featurettes, Comic-Con panel and gag reel.

Includes episodes:

• Panopticon: After several months of silence, the Machine sends a new Number to Reese and Sam… and Finch, who ignores the call. Meanwhile, Fusco gets a new partner and Elias receives an unexpected visitor.

• Nautilus: Reese involves Finch in his attempt to protect a new Number, a mathematics student who is playing a city-wide game. However, they soon discover that the game is much more than a simple scavenger hunt.

• Wingman: The team’s new number is a professional wingman, and Fusco has to go undercover as a needy client while Reese deals with a demanding police captain. Meanwhile, Root takes Finch on a scavenger hunt for the Machine.

• Brotherhood: The Brotherhood goes after two children who stole drug money from them, and Reese has to team up with a DEA agent to stop them. Meanwhile, Finch turns to Elias for help.

• Prophets: While Finch, Sam, and Root try to protect a pollster who suspects that Samaritan rigged the elections, Reese is sidelined in therapy due to his high number of shootings during homicide cases.

• Pretenders: The team’s new Number is a mild-mannered insurance agent who is pretending to be a police detective to investigate the supposed suicide of a co-worker’s brother. Meanwhile, Finch is sent to a conference in Hong Kong and meets an attractive businesswoman specializing in computers.

• Honor Among Thieves: The team’s new Number turns out to be an international jewel thief, and Sam has to get close to the man to find out if he’s victim or perpetrator. Meanwhile, Finch recruits Root to help him undermine Samaritan’s plans to distribute tablets to school children.

• Point of Origin: The team’s new number is a police academy recruit: a loose cannon who is apparently working for the gangs. Meanwhile, Samaritan sends Martine to track down the woman who prevented it from obtaining the virus.

• The Devil You Know: Reese and Finch receive a new Number: Elias, who Dominic wants dead. Meanwhile, Root rescues Sam from Martine but Sam doesn’t want to be rescued, and threatens to go public if they don’t let her help save Elias.

• The Cold War: To demonstrate its power to the Machine, Samaritan launches a massive effort to shut down all crime in NYC for 24 hours… and then unleash it worse than ever. Meanwhile, Finch and Reese try to keep up with the new influx of Numbers, and Root meets with her opposite number.

• If-Then-Else: The team must go on a seeming suicide run to prevent the financial meldown that Samaritan has engineered.

• Control-Alt-Delete: Samaritan begins to withhold information from the ISA, raising Control’s suspicions. Meanwhile, Root and Reese search for their missing teammate.

• M.I.A.: While Reese and Root look for Sam in an upstate New York town, Fusco helps out the newest Number with the help of a previous one.

• Guilty: Finch suspects that a fellow juror is trying to rig the proceedings in a murder trial. Meanwhile, Reese begins to open up to the department’s therapist.

• Q&A: Reese and Fusco help a transcriber at a software firm who is the team’s new Number, while Claire contacts Finch and asks him for help against Decima.

• Blunt: Reese and Finch protect a street-savvy grifter who makes the mistake of stealing laundered money from Dominic. Meanwhile, Root infiltrates a software app company on the Machine’s behalf.

• Karma: The team’s new Number is a psychologist whose unorthodox technique for helping his patients find closure puts him at risk. Meanwhile, in the past Finch tries to deal with the trauma of losing his best friend Nathan.

• Skip: The team’s new Number is Frankie Wells, a bounty hunter who refuses to give up on a target despite the threat to her life. Meanwhile, Finch links back up with Beth Bridges.

• Search and Destroy: Reese and Finch try to protect a software CEO whose behavior becomes erratic after a hacker attack reveals his secrets.

• Terra Incognita: Reese sets himself to solve a case that Carter was never able to close.

• Asylum: The Machine sends the team two new Numbers: Elias and Dominic. Meanwhile, Finch and Root get a clue to Sam’s whereabouts, and Control tries to learn the truth about Samaritan.

• YHWH: As Finch and Root go on a seemingly random series of errands to save the Machine against Samaritan’s onslaught, Dominic threatens to shoot Harper and Elias unless Reese puts him in contact with Finch.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

BBC Home Video/ Released 8/11/15

Based on the bestselling, award-winning novel by Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell takes viewers on a journey through alternate history during 19th century England. Magic, a lost art which has lain dormant for centuries, is showing signs of returning. At the center of this renaissance are two men who are destined to become the greatest magicians that England—and possibly the world—have ever seen.

The reclusive Mr. Norrell (Marsan) of Hurtfew Abbey stuns the city of York when he causes the statues of York Cathedral to speak and move. With a little persuasion and help from his man of business Childermass (Cilenti), he goes to London to help the government in the war against Napoleon. It is there Norrell summons a fairy (Warren) to bring Lady Pole (Englert) back from the dead, opening a whole can of worms. Not only do Norrell and Jonathan Strange (Carvel) have to deal with all the trappings of Georgian society, the Napoleonic wars, and the whims of the supernatural, they have to contend with their own egos and, most of all, an uncomfortable realization that there may not be enough room in the world for one magician, never mind two. Extras include featurette and deleted scenes.

2 Broke Girls: The Complete Fourth Season

Warner Home Video / Released 8/11/15

The comedic duo that goes together like cupcakes and frosting is back in business and more hilarious than ever! It’s season four of 2 Broke Girls, from Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City), starring Kat Dennings and Beth Behrs as two friends and roomies who work at a Brooklyn diner where they dish up sarcasm and smarts – and sell Max’s Homemade Cupcakes at the diner’s pop-up window. Ka-ching! Guest stars include Kim Kardashian, Jesse Metcalfe, Valerie Harper, Sandra Bernhard, and Laura Kightlinger. Extras include unaired scenes and gag reel.

Episodes include:

• And the Reality Problem: A TV producer approaches Max and Caroline about shooting an episode of a Kardashians reality show at their cupcake window. 

• And the DJ Face: Max is mortified when she learns the hot guy she’s been spending time with is a deejay at a grocery store.
  

• And the Childhood Not Included: Caroline accidentally loses one of Han’s expensive fish while cleaning the tank, so Max considers selling a sentimental gift from her mother in order to replace the fish.

• And the Old Bike Yarn: Caroline takes an abandoned bicycle to start a delivery service for their cupcake business but soon discovers that Max doesn’t know how to ride one.

• And the Brand Job: Max and Caroline’s friendship is severely tested when Caroline drags Max to a motivational business seminar to help brand their cupcake business.
  

• And the Model Apartment: Supermodels Lily Aldridge and Martha Hunt rent Max and Caroline’s apartment for a fun girls’ weekend.

• And a Loan for Christmas: Max and Caroline obtain a bank loan to mass-produce their cupcake T-shirts so they can sell them at high-end boutiques. Meanwhile, the diner gang poses in Chestnut’s barn for a holiday decorating contest Sophie entered.
  

• And the Fun Factory: Max and Caroline hire a factory to produce their cupcake T-shirts, but they become suspicious of the work conditions there due to the company’s overly enthusiastic employees.
  

• And the Past and the Furious: Caroline gets a shock for her birthday when she receives a Lamborghini ordered by her father four years ago. Oleg has big plans for Sophie.
  

• And the Move-in Meltdown: Caroline, Earl and Han help Oleg move into Sophie’s apartment until she starts turning his things away.

• And the Crime Ring: Max and Caroline are arrested for breaking into a cute guy’s apartment to retrieve some rings Caroline left there after she spent the night.

• And the Knock Off Knockout: Max and Caroline get into a legal battle with two teens who knocked off their cupcake T-shirts and sold them.

• And the Great Unwashed: Max and Caroline learn that one of their customers at the diner is a successful photographer who is keeping a secret.

• And the Cupcake Captives: Sophie’s wedding shower is disrupted by a hostage situation. The cupcake business receives bad publicity when a tenant is arrested wearing the girls’ company T-shirt.

• And the Fat Cat: Max and Caroline’s missing cat, Nancy, is returned by a handsome businessman; and Nancy comes home with a big surprise.

• And the Zero Tolerance: Max and Caroline get second jobs as a pastry chef and a hostess at a trendy restaurant to help pay off their bank loan.

• And the High Hook-Up: Max pursues a handsome new coworker at the restaurant, despite the owner’s “no hook-up” rule.

• And the Taste Test: Sophie takes Max and Caroline shopping for their bridesmaid dresses, so the girls enlist the diner gang’s help to hide the most hideous ones to avoid being utterly humiliated.

• And the Look of the Irish: Max and Caroline try to get work for Nash as a model in an effort to make some extra money acting as his managers. Meanwhile, Sophie and Oleg attempt to remain celibate for 30 days before their wedding.

• And the Minor Problem: Max and Caroline’s attempt to break Nash into the modeling business is threatened when his mother arrives from Ireland to retrieve her son.

• And the Grate Expectations: Max and Caroline help launch the opening of The High’s new location at JFK airport. Meanwhile, Sophie learns that Oleg may have an ulterior motive for wanting to marry her.

• And the Disappointing Unit: The season ends with Max and Caroline tasked with retrieving Sophie’s wedding dress from airport customs and safely transporting it to the church in time for the nuptials.

Hell on Wheels: The Complete Fourth Season

Entertainment One / Released 8/11/15

Following the brutal winter of 1868, the railroad is at a standstill and restless workers wreak havoc on Cheyenne. Cullen Bohannon is trapped in a fort with a pregnant wife and the Swede. Thomas Durant is broke and Elam Ferguson is presumed dead. The task of uniting America by rail remains undone and the costs and consequences are rising, for everyone. Extras include featurettes.

Episodes include:

• The Elusive Eden: Cullen awaits the birth of his baby while laboring under the Swede at Fort Smith. Meanwhile, Durant deals with the fallout from a railroad accident.

• Escape From the Garden: Cullen challenges the Swede while planning his exit from Fort Smith. Meanwhile, a new adversary arrives and makes his presence felt in Cheyenne.

• Chicken Hill: Cullen goes back to work on the railroad and butts heads with his new boss. Meanwhile, Durant and Campbell clash over a valuable piece of real estate.

• Reckoning: Cullen faces trouble at home as he takes railroad matters into his own hands. Meanwhile, Campbell makes a move against Durant and Mickey.

• Life’s a Mystery: A stranger’s arrival stirs up old feelings in Cullen and puts his family at risk. Meanwhile, the Swede faces consequences at Fort Smith.

• Bear Man: Following an attack by a bear, Elam struggles to survive in a Comanche village and find his way back to Cheyenne.

• Elam Ferguson: Cullen attempts to reconnect with Elam upon his return. Meanwhile, Durant takes matters into his own hands while putting an old problem to rest.

• Under Color of Law: Cullen makes a decision to ensure his family’s safety. Meanwhile, Campbell hires a new federal marshal to clean up the streets.

• Two Trains: Life is Darker after the death of Elam, Cullen has to choose between the railroad and family.

• Return to Hell: An act of terror strikes Cheyenne as Cullen, Durant and Campbell negotiate toward a settlement for policing the streets.

• Bleeding Kansas: Cullen and Durant fight to save the life of a criminal. Louise tries to provide support as Ruth copes with a great loss.

• Thirteen Steps: Cullen grapples with Ruth’s unexpected decision; Louise jeopardizes her reputation to fight for a story she believes in.

• Further West: As the railroad prepares to leave Cheyenne behind, Cullen returns to Fort Smith to retrieve his family.

The Knick: The Complete First Season

HBO Home Video / Released 8/11/15

Set in downtown New York in 1900 – The Knick is a groundbreaking new scripted drama from Oscar – winning director Steven Soderbergh starring Oscar nominee Clive Owen. The series centers on the Knickerbocker Hospital (dubbed The Knick), which faces a major upheaval due to poor finances and an exodus of wealthy patients. The one remaining star is Dr. Thackery (played by Clive Owen) who along with the hospital staff of surgeons, nurses and other personnel must struggle to keep both themselves and the hospital going. The Knick provides a fascinating lens into some of the major issues of the time (much of which is still relevant today), including race relations, class distinctions, rapid (and unregulated) changes to medicine, drug addiction and more. Featuring an amazing cast including Andre Holland (Dr. Algernon Edwards), Juliet Rylance (Cornelia Robertson), Eric Johnson (Dr. Everett Gallinger), Michael Angarano (Dr. “Bertie” Chickering Jr.), Eve Hewson (Lucy Elkins) and more. Extras include commentaries and featurettes.

Episodes include:

• Method and Madness: With the death of Dr. J.M. Christiansen, Dr. Thackery ascends to the role of chief surgeon. Cornelia Robertson, daughter of the hospital’s benefactor, insists that Thackery hire a black assistant chief, Dr. Algernon Edwards. The addition of Dr. Edwards stirs up the hospital staff where he encounters enmity and resentment. His addition the question as to whether the other doctors will accept an African American doctor and if patients will allow him to operate on them, but in the end, the concern is setting breakthroughs in the world of surgery.

• Mr. Paris Shoes: Incensed over the problems with the hospital’s new electrical system, Thackery instructs hospital superintendent Barrow to get him more cadavers to enable his team to investigate new surgical procedures. As the rate of patient deaths increase, Edwards proffers a technique he learned in France. A typhoid fever epidemic is tackled by Robertson while Thackery confides in Elkins. Edwards figures out another way to carry out his job.

• The Busy Flea: As Thackery directs Gallinger and Chickering to conduct experiments on pigs, he ponders whether to operate on a former flame. Barrow goes to great lengths to repay an obligation and get back a missing tooth. Edwards takes out his frustrations at a local bar. Robertson’s request for administering treatment to a typhoid fever patient are considered at long last.

• Where’s the Dignity?: During surgery, Thackery’s hand is forced by Algernon, which angers Eleanor; a recovering Abigail regrets her involvement with Thackery; and Sister Harriet and Cleary make a couple of deals. Meanwhile, Bertie receives a scolding from his physician father who is unhappy with his son’s career path; and Lucy becomes privy to Thackery’s secrets.

• They Capture the Heat: Barrow can alleviate a debt if he treats one of Collier’s wounded men and also urges Capt. Robertson to buy one of Thomas Edison’s new inventions. Meanwhile, Algernon tries a new approach to hernia surgery; the health of Everett and Eleanor’s baby worsens; and Sister Harriet and Cleary head to Chinatown.

• Start Calling Me Dad: Thackery and Bertie test a new operating-room procedure; Cornelia is second-guessing her impending nuptials; and Thackery considers a salesman’s intriguing pitch. Meanwhile, Everett contemplates how to help Eleanor overcome her grief; and Barrow wheels and deals over some used merchandise.

• Get the Rope: Racial tensions ramp up on the street and at the Knick when a black man stabs a cop defending his wife; Everett finds a changed operating room on his return to work; and Barrow has concerns about Junia’s safety. Meanwhile, Edwards’ ingenuity and skills impress Cornelia.

• Working Late a Lot: A drug-deprived Thackery fears that a prominent inventor-surgeon will overshadow his accomplishments at the upcoming New York Surgical Society event. Meanwhile, Bertie courts Lucy as he fends off his father’s demands that he leave the Knick; and staff members go to court to keep Typhoid Mary in quarantine.

• The Golden Lotus: Robertson must come up with hush money to cover up a late-night crime at the Knick; a desperate Thackery looks to Lucy to obtain his drugs; and Eleanor’s erratic behavior concerns Gallinger.

• Crutchfield: Thackery becomes increasingly more paranoid and pushes himself to the limit while continuing the blood-transfusion research; and Edwards and Cornelia reach a crossroads. Meanwhile, Barrow gets in deeper with creditors; Lucy seeks help from Bertie; and, with the hospital in the middle of a crisis, Robertson orders a vote.

Police Story: Lockdown

Well Go USA/ Released 8/11/15

Police Captain Zhong Wen (Jackie Chan) knows all about sacrifice. He’s always been too busy chasing bad guys to be a father to his daughter Miao (Jing Tian). Tonight, he’s seeing her for the first time in years – and meeting her fiance, club owner Wu Jiang (Liu Ye). But Wu knows Zhong. And his plans for the evening include taking Miao, Zhong, and the entire club hostage. Zhong knows about sacrifice. What will he give up to save his daughter? Extras include interviews and featurette.

The Monster That Challenged the World

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/11/15

The local beaches go from fun-filled swim-fest to horrifying slugfest when a horde of gargantuan vampire snails ooze their way into the water supply – and threaten to suck the life out of mankind! Packed with nerve jangling suspense and excitement, this slimy sci-fi thriller delivers superior monster action that’ll pull the most hardened sci-fi cynic right out of his shell! Lieutenant John Twillinger (Tim Holt) thinks he’s seen it all – until an earthquake under the Salton Sea unearths a horrifying nest of prehistoric killer crustaceans. Giant, terrifying and with a hunger for human flesh, the beasts begin feeding on the locals, unleashing a shocking reign of murderous mollusk mayhem. Can the lieutenant do anything to stop their spread? Or will the human race be forever left in the snails’ slimy wake? Directed by cult-filmmaker and TV veteran, Arnold Laven (Sam Whiskey). Extras include commentary and trailer.

Still of the Night

Kino Lorber / Released 8/11/15

Meryl Streep co-stars in this Hitchcockian murder mystery as the enigmatic Brooke Reynolds. Following the murder of her married lover, she visits the office of his psychiatrist, Dr. Sam Rice (Roy Scheider), to leave a wristwatch for the man’s wife. Sam is immediately fascinated by the aloof beauty, whom he’s come to know through her lover’s therapy. When he finds that her father died mysteriously and that she strongly resembles a woman who’s been stalking him, the psychiatrist becomes even more obsessed with her. Both fearing and desiring Brooke, he’s plagued by nightmares that he’ll be her next victim. Striking photography by Nestor Almendros and top-notch direction by screenwriter and director Robert Benton complement a baroquely twisted plot in this complex, bone-chilling film. Extras include trailer gallery.

The January Man

Kino Lorber / Released 8/11/15

Acting greats Kevin Kline, Susan Sarandon, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Harvey Keite, Danny Aiello, Rod Steiger and Alan Rickman star in this intense thriller about a serial killer on the loose in Manhattan. Directed by Pat O’Connor and written by John Patrick Shanley, The January Man is an edge-of-your-seat suspense ride that’ll prey on your thoughts as well as your fears. Ex-cop Mick Starkey (Kline) is the only man in New York brilliant enough to find a vicious serial killer. But returning to his job is as complicated an undertaking as nabbing the culprit. Forced to work alongside the brother who fired him, Nick also has to come to terms with the ex-girlfriend who married his brother, and the mayor’s young daughter who’s fallen in love with him. But with time running out and everyone counting on him, Nick sets aside his personal turmoil to root out the sadistic killer. Extras include featurette and trailer.

Power Rangers Super Megaforce: Legendary Battle

Lionsgate / Released 8/11/15

The Emperor unleashes another massive attack on Earth and nearly defeats the Rangers, but against all odd they remain defiant and are rewarded with the help of all the Legendary Rangers from years past. Just when the Power Rangers thought they’d saved the planet for good, the Emperor of the Armada launches a massive attack on Earth and overwhelms the Rangers, nearly defeating them. Against all odds, the Power Rangers regroup for one last stand against the Emperor and his army of X-Borgs, and find unexpected support from the Legendary Rangers from years past.

I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story

Cinedigm / Released 8/11/15

For 45 years, Caroll Spinney has been beloved by generations of children as the man behind Sesame Street‘s Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch and at 80 years old, he has no intention of stopping. A loving portrait of the man in the yellow suit, I Am Big Bird features extraordinary footage of Spinney’s earliest collaborations with Jim Henson as it traces his journey from bullied child to childhood icon. And as the yellow feathers give way to grey hair, it is the man, not the puppet, who will steal your heart.

Match

MPI Home Video / Released 8/11/15

Patrick Stewart gives a captivating performance in this witty, emotionally gripping adaptation of director Stephen Belber’s own Tony Award-nominated play. Stewart stars as Tobi, an eccentric, pot-smoking Manhattan ballet instructor whose quiet life is interrupted by the arrival of a young couple (Carla Gugino & Matthew Lillard) from Seattle, presumably there to interview him about his colorful life as a dancer in the 1960s. As Tobi spins salacious tales from his former career, an ulterior motive for the couple s visit emerges, forcing the trio to confront a secret that may connect them all. Driven by Stewart’s tour-de-force performance, Match moves masterfully between razor-sharp comic banter and heartrending poignancy.

Kung Fu & Titties

Green Apple Ent. / Released 8/11/15

Richard Titties, an out-of-shape martial arts wannabe, is shot into an alternate dimension after his girlfriend Cynthia is kidnapped. Her captors are a group of tittie obsessed madmen led by Zeefros, the master of the supernatural realm. Zeefros kidnaps women for the sole purpose of seeing their titties. Richard joins up with his sister Raine Brown, a Gorilla and a gaggle of other strange characters, in order to save his girlfriend. He must search inside, overcome his futile martial arts skills, and find the kung fu fighter within if he is to save himself and all those that dwell in the alternate world.

Soaked in Bleach

MVD Video / Released 8/14/15

Reveals the events behind Kurt Cobain’s death as seen through the eyes of Tom Grant, the private investigator that was hired by Courtney Love in 1994 to track down her missing husband (Kurt Cobain) only days before his deceased body was found at their Seattle home. Cobain’s death was ruled a suicide by the police (a reported self-inflicted gunshot wound), but doubts have circulated for twenty years as to the legitimacy of this ruling, especially due to the work of Mr. Grant, a former L.A. County Sheriff’s detective, who did his own investigation and determined there was significant empirical and circumstantial evidence to conclude that foul play could very well have occurred. The film develops as a narrative mystery with cinematic re-creations, interviews with key experts and witnesses and the examination of official artifacts from the 1994 case.

Sir Ivan: I Am Peaceman

Pop Twist/ Released 8/11/15

Peace-Loving Pop Star… Cape-Wearing Party Animal… Superhero Philanthropist… The one and only Sir Ivan! Sir Ivan – who has made the incredible transition from Bank Board to Billboard – certainly knows how to celebrate. Surrounded by a harem of gorgeous girls, he throws New York’s wildest and sexiest parties at his over-the-top Medieval style Castle. Also known as Peaceman, Sir Ivan is a man on a mission – spreading a message of peace, love, and understanding, through his music and his charity work. Multi-Emmy winning filmmaker Jim Brown captures the fast-moving vibe.

The Front Page

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/11/15

Based on the wildly successful (and controversial) play by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, The Front Page follows hard-boiled crime reporter Hildy Johnson (Pat O’Brien) who has vowed to quit the business and marry his new sweetheart (Mary Brian). But when a political radical (George E. Stone) escapes from custody on the eve of his hanging, the reporter’s room is plunged into comedic chaos, and Hildy’s brash editor (Menjou) sees it as an opportunity to manipulate the reporter into staying.

Raucous, irreverent, and remarkably funny, The Front Page is a landmark in cinema history – a brilliantly orchestrated, high-speed satire that set the standard for the countless screwball comedies that followed in its wake. But few films can match the risqué flavor and the relentless pace of the masterpiece that spawned an entire genre, earning Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Actor (Adolphe Menjou), and Best Director (Lewis Milestone), as well as a spot on the esteemed National Film Registry. Extras include short documentary on the film preservation efforts of the Library of Congress, audio commentary by film historian Bret Wood, the 1937 radio adaptation starring Walter Winchell and presented by Cecil B. DeMille, and the 1946 radio adaptation starring Adolphe Menjou and Pat O’Brien.

War-Gods of the Deep

Kino Lorber / Released 8/11/15

Master of suspense and horror Vincent Price takes on square-jawed Tab Hunter in this fantastic underwater tale teeming with adventure! Based on an Edgar Allen Poe (Tales of Terror) story and co-starring David Tomlinson and Susan Hart, this turbulent thriller pits gill-men against he-men, with a sexy woman caught between and surges with excitement from initial fade-in to climatic fadeout. When a slimy, gilled monster from the deep kidnaps the beautiful Jill (Hart) it’ll take her boyfriend (Hunter), his sidekick (Tomlinson) and his sidekick’s sidekick – a rooster – to get her back! Following her trail into the deep, they are shocked to discover a lost underwater city, ruled by a ruthless captain (Price) and an army of mutated sea creatures, who imprison the hapless landlubbers… while a restless volcano threatens to bury them all! Directed by the great Jacques Tourneur (I Walked with a Zombie). Extras include interview and trailer.

Walt Disney Animation Studios Short Films Collection 

Walt Disney / Released 8/18/15

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes an extraordinary new collection of award-winning and beloved short films featuring Disney’s Frozen Fever, starring Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Sven and Kristoff, and the Oscar-nominated Lorenzo (Best Animated Short, 2004). The Short Films Collection includes contemporary shorts starring classic cartoon characters, such as the groundbreaking 2013 Mickey Mouse Cartoon Get A Horse! as well as celebrated Oscar winners Paperman (2012) and Feast (2014). Enjoy them together for the first time in this must-own collection, with all-new extras, including introductions and interviews with the Disney Animation filmmakers themselves, an inside look at the process of developing and producing a short hosted by actor T.J. Miller and the Mickey Mouse short, The Runaway Brain for DMA.

Includes:

• John Henry: A musical retelling of the classic tall tale of John Henry, who, hammer in hand, races to build a railway tunnel against a steam-powered drill to prove man’s dominance over machine. Directed by Mark Henn and written by Broose Johnson, Tim Hodge and Shirley Pierce in 2000. 

• Lorenzo: A mean-spirited feline dotes over his tail, only to be cursed by a scorned black cat. Soon, Lorenzo’s tail turns on him, leaving the fat cat desperate to be rid of his once glorious tail. Written and directed by Mike Gabriel, it debuted theatrically in 2004. 

• The Little Matchgirl: Based on an 1845 Hans Christian Andersen tale, the short follows a young Russian girl struggling to stay warm with her last remaining matches, all the while remembering happier times with her deceased grandmother. Directed and co-written by Roger Allers, it originally appeared on The Little Mermaid Platinum Edition DVD in 2006. 

• How to Hook Up Your Home Theater: Goofy survives the perils of home theater shopping only to turn his living room into a minefield of manuals, cables, speakers and screens. Co-directed and co-written by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers, the short was released in 2007 in front of National Treasure: Book of Secrets. 

• Tick Tock Tale: The clocks in a quaint shop come to life when their owner leaves for the night. And it’s quiet, until a thief breaks in. Now it’s up to one slow-running clock to stop him. Directed by Dean Wellins, the short hails from 2010.

• Prep & Landing – Operation: Secret Santa: Elves Wayne and Lanny are sent on a top secret mission: to retrieve a box from a secret room hidden in Santa Claus’ private office. Written and directed by Kevin Deters and Stevie Wermers-Skelton, the short premiered on ABC in 2010. 

• The Ballad of Nessie: Billy Connolly narrates the tale of shy Nessie, a friendly creature who loses her beloved best friend, her rubber duckie. The short was co-directed by Kevin Deters and co-director/co-writer Stevie Wermers-Skelton and was attached to the theatrical release of Winnie the Pooh in 2011. 

• Tangled Ever After: When ring-bearers Maximus and Pascal accidentally lose Rapunzel and Flynn’s rings at the wedding, the brave animals have to recover the rings before the happy couple’s vows are completed. Written and directed by Nathan Greno and Byron Howard, the short debuted ahead of the 3D re-release of Beauty and the Beast in 2012. 

• Paperman: An accountant is separated from the would-be love of his life. Now, with the help of a fleet of paper airplanes, he just might have a chance to connect with her a second time. Directed by John Kahrs and written by Clio Chiang and Kendelle Hoyer, Paperman premiered alongside Wreck-It Ralph in 2012 and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. 

• Get a Horse!: Mickey, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and their 1920s animated friends break the fourth wall of an animated short, transforming from black and white traditionally animated drawings into 3D characters on a theater stage. Directed by Lauren MacMullan, it preceded Frozen theatrically in 2013. 

• Feast: A young dog is treated to his master’s food… until his master falls in love and gets married to a woman who doesn’t share her husband’s enthusiasm for treats. Will the little dog ever have tasty table scraps again? Directed by Patrick Osborne and written by Nicole Mitchell and Raymond S. Persi, Feast was attached to Big Hero 6 in 2014 and won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film. 

• Frozen Fever: More Frozen fun with the original voice cast as Elsa, suffering from a debilitating cold, works to prepare a birthday party for Anna. Written and directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, it played ahead of Cinderella in early 2015.

Last Word: A decade’s worth of Disney shorts collected together for the first time provide an interesting and entertaining overview.  On one hand, you have a number of short works (including an Academy Award winner), but the material within couldn’t be more eclectic.  Every single one of these films are worth seeing and all represent some truly amazing work.  Maybe it’s nostalgia (it probably is), but my favorite film in here, Get a Horse!, might be the most important.  First, it’s the first Mickey Mouse short in years, and in fact, brings back many of the classic Disney characters from the earliest days of the studio.  Second, it pays homage to the past and present, combining 2D and 3D animation and traditional with CGI animation.  In terms of overall quality, Paperman and Feast both represent some of the best animated shorts ever produced, but I’ve rewatched Mickey and his pals again several times.  For any fan of Disney or animation, this is an essential purchase, one that you will revisit again and again.

Once Upon a Time: The Complete Fourth Season

Walt Disney / Released 8/18/15

Love. As seductive and dangerous as magic, this potent, unpredictable force proves to be the ultimate weapon in the epic battle between good and evil in ABC’s Once Upon A Time: The Complete Fourth Season.

Soon after Emma and Hook unwittingly bring Elsa of Arendelle to Storybrooke, they encounter the mysterious Snow Queen, whose relentless obsession with both Emma and Elsa has chilling consequences. Meanwhile, it appears Regina has at last found true love with Robin Hood, but how will she react when her happy ending is thwarted yet again by a maddening twist of fate? Then, a banished Rumplestiltskin enlists the Queens of Darkness (Maleficent, Ursula, Cruella De Vil) in an insidious scheme to rewrite their own stories and corrupt the Savior by turning her newly blissful heart pitch-black.

Relive all 23 thrilling episodes of Season 4. Plus, delve deeper with never-before-seen bonus features as you revel in the intoxicating magic and mystery of Once Upon A Time — spellbinding now… and forever after! Extras include commentary, featurettes, bloopers and deleted scenes.

Includes Episodes:

• A Tale of Two Sisters: While Elsa wanders Storybooke and inadvertently summons a snowman to protect herself, Regina comes up with a new plan to assure that she finally has a happy ending in her life. Meanwhile, in the past, Anna and Elsa learn why their parents left Storybrooke and set out to find out where they’ve gone. 

• White Out: Elsa accidentally endangers Emma’s life when her ice powers go out of control again. Meanwhile, when Regina goes into seclusion, Mary Margaret takes charge of the town and faces her first crisis. In the past, Anna meets David and helps him learn to fight for what is his against a brutal warlord… the dreaded Bo Peep. 

• Rocky Road: Someone casts a freezing spell on Marian and the townspeople believe that Elsa is responsible… unaware that the Snow Queen is the real perpetrator. Meanwhile, Emma and David meet an old friend of Robin’s, while Regina and Henry set out to find the author of Henry’s storybook. In the Arendelle of the past, Elsa and Kristoff must join forces to stop Hans from conquering the country.

• The Apprentice: Emma asks Hook to go on a date with her, and he bargains with Gold to get his left hand back so that he can hold Emma with both hands. Meanwhile, Emma continues her hunt for the Snow Queen, and Will breaks into the Storybrooke Library to get a very special book. In the past, Anna makes a deal with Rumplestiltskin to learn what her parents were seeking in the Enchanted Forest.

• Breaking Glass: Sidney agrees to lead Regina to the Snow Queen, and Emma insists on tagging along in the hopes of rekindling her friendship with Regina. Meanwhile, David and Mary Margaret interrupt their first date since the baby arrived to track down an escaped Will. In the past, Emma befriends a fellow orphan, Lily, but learns that she’s not what she claims.

• Family Business: Belle tries to use Gold’s dagger to force him to locate the Snow Queen, so that the townspeople can find out her plans and learn why she wiped Emma’s memories. In the past, Belle convinces Anna to take her to Grand Pabbie so that she can recover her memories of her mother Colette. 

• The Snow Queen: Emma captures and questions the Snow Queen, who uses the opportunity to turn her against her family. Meanwhile, Regina and Robin continue trying to find a way to save Marian, and Henry continues his undercover mission to find out what Gold is hiding. In the past, the mystery behind Ingrid’s powers is revealed.

• Smash the Mirror, Part 1: Rather than hurt her family and friends, Emma seeks out Gold to find a way to remove her magical powers. Meanwhile, Robin asks Will to help him find a way to ensure Regina’s happy ending. In the past, Ingrid tries to turn Elsa against Anna but fails, and the sisters try to trap their aunt in the urn.

• Smash the Mirror, Part 2: Emma prepares to remove her powers to protect her loved ones, unaware that Gold plans to trap her in the Sorcerer’s Hat. Meanwhile, Robin finds a clue that may provide Regina with her happy ending. In the past, Ingrid turns Anna against Elsa but the results aren’t what she expects.

• Fall: As the Snow Queen’s spell closes in on Storybrooke, the townspeople prepare for the worst. Elsa tries to find her sister, who may be the only chance of a cure. However, Gold has his own plan underway to save himself, Belle, and Henry, and is willing to sacrifice everyone else to assure their escape. In the past, Anna and Kristoff attempt to find the Wishing Star so that they can recover Elsa.

• Shattered Sight: While Emma and Elsa attempt to take down the Snow Queen, the other citizens of Storybrooke are consumed with hatred for each other. Meanwhile, Will prepares to settle his debt with Hook, and Gold plans his escape.

• Heroes and Villains: After the Snow Queen’s spell is broken, Elsa and the others discover that they need an alternate route back to Arendelle. Hook gives them the key but they’re unaware that he’s under Gold’s influence and Gold wants them out of Storybrooke so they can’t stop his plan. Meanwhile, Regina and Robin find happiness only to discover that it’s fleeting, and Henry finds a vital clue to the location of the author. In the past, the Queens of Darkness–Maleficent, Ursula, and Cruella De Vil–conspire to obtain a powerful magic artifact from Rumplestiltskin.

• Darkness on the Edge of Town: Gold and Ursula recruit Cruella to their cause and travel to Storybrooke. Meanwhile, Hook works with Belle to free the fairies from the Sorcerer’s Hat and succeed, but end up unleashing a greater evil. In the past, Rumplestiltskin convinces the Queens of Darkness to help him retrieve the dark curse that prevents them from getting their happy endings.

• Unforgiven: Emma investigates Cruella and Ursula, and begins to suspect that David and Mary Margaret are hiding something from her. Meanwhile, Henry talks to Pinocchio and Marco in the hope that they can help him find the Author. In the past, Snow and Charming meet the Queens of Darkness for the first time.

• Enter the Dragon: Emma, David, and Mary Margaret monitor Regina as she attempts to infiltrate the Queens of Darkness. However, they require the former Evil Queen to prove that she is worthy to join them. Meanwhile, Hook asks Belle for a favor, while Henry closes in on the Author. In the past, Regina and Maleficent become friends.

• Poor Unfortunate Soul: Hook makes a deal with Ursula to find out what Gold is planning. Meanwhile, Regina dreams of a reunion with Robin, and Gold finds out where the door may be hidden. In the past, the circumstances behind how Ursula lost her singing voice are revealed.

• Best Laid Plans: While Regina keeps Gold and his allies from finding the Author, Henry finds a clue to the Author’s location. In the past, Snow and Charming are given a way to secure their unborn child’s goodness but at a terrible cost.

• Heart of Gold: Emma tries to find the Author before Gold does, despite her issues with her parents. In the past, Rumplestiltskin sends Robin to Oz to steal an elixir from the Wicked Witch.

• Sympathy for the De Vil: Regina is forced to temporarily abandon her plans to rescue Robin when Cruella abducts Henry. In the past in 1920s London, a stranger helps a young Cruella confront her abusive mother.

• Lily: Emma and Regina join forces to travel to New York City and both find Lily and rescue Robin. However, things go terribly wrong. In the past, a young Emma has a chance at a happy life with a new family until Lily reenters the picture.

• Mother: Emma takes Lily to Storybrooke to reunite her with Maleficent, while Isaac seeks out a new source of magic ink after Gold’s condition worsens. In the past, Cora offers to make amends with Regina for killing her true love, but Regina isn’t convinced her mother has her best interests at heart.

• Operation Mongoose Part 1: Isaac completes his new story, giving the villains happy endings and turning the heroes into villains, thieves, and cowards. Only Henry is unaffected, and must find a way to undo Isaac’s spell and restore things to normal.

• Operation Mongoose Part 2: Henry, Emma, and Hook join forces in Isaac’s fictional world to stop the wedding of Zelena and Robin, and reverse Isaac’s story. However, Isaac turns to the heroic Rumplestiltskin for help in stopping them, forcing the Light One to make a desperate choice.

Hackers: 20th Anniversary Edition

Shout! Factory / Released 8/18/15

While practicing the tricks of the trade, a neophyte “hacker”, accomplishes the nearly impossible: he hacks the highly secured computer at the Ellingson Mineral Corporation. But in doing so, he unknowingly taps into a high-tech embezzling scheme masked by a computer virus with the potential to destroy the world’s ecosystem! And when the young hacker and his pals are targeted for the crime, the group must launch a massive cyberspace attack: one that will hopefully clear their names and prevent ecological disaster.

By launching the careers of Jonny Lee Miller (Elementary) and Academy Award-winner Angelina Jolie (1999 Supporting Actress, Girl, Interrupted, Hackers became an underground hit instantly, inspiring music and fashion for the brand-new Internet culture, and has been even hailed as prophetic in its use of computers and hacking. Extras include new retrospective interviews and trailer.

Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem

Warner Bros. / Released 8/18/15

It’s Halloween night in Gotham City and a mysterious crime spree has Batman on the trail of the city’s spookiest villains: Scarecrow, Clayface, Silver Banshee and Solomon Grundy. Ruling over these misfits is the clown prince of crime himself, The Joker! Armed with a computer virus and diabolical plan to unleash “digital laugher” upon Gotham’s technology, only the Dark Knight can stop this gruesome gang. Joining forces with Green Arrow, Cyborg, Nightwing and Red Robin, it’s an action-packed race to stop the Joker and save the city. When the sun rises, will it shine upon Gotham City or Jokertown? Extras include featurette, bonus cartoon and 10 DC Nation Shorts.

Last Word:  Several years ago, Warner Animation launched the animated series The Batman, which was basically created to support/promote a toyline.  By the end of the first season, the series started to focus on storytelling than selling and went on to have a healthy five year run.  Best of all, was that it was really good.  Now comes Monster Mayhem, the second in the Batman Unlimited franchise, and the results are a bit less impressive.  I understand that the intent of this release is to sell toys, but would it be that much harder to produce the feature with better writing that didn’t dumb everything down to the lowest common denominator (it can be done, check out the LEGO DC Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom! review on this page).  Monster Mayhem runs 72 minutes, which means that it’s like watching 144 lousy thirty second commercials for toys.  Everything about this film reeks of marketing and is completely uninspired.  It makes the original Super Friends seem like Kurosawa.

The Blacklist: The Complete Second Season

Sony/ Released 8/18/15

For decades, ex-government agent Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) has been one of the FBI’s Most Wanted fugitives. Last season, he mysteriously surrendered to the FBI but now the FBI works for him as he identifies a “blacklist” of politicians, mobsters, spies and international terrorists. He will help catch them all… with the caveat that Elizabeth “Liz” Keen (Megan Boone) continues to work as his partner. Red will teach Liz to think like a criminal and “see the bigger picture”, whether she wants to or not. Guest stars include Peter Stormare, Ron Perlman, Mary-Louise Parker, Krysten Ritter, David Strathairn, Paul Reubens, Alan Alda, Amanda Plummer, Lance Henriksen, Jeffrey DeMunn Jeffrey DeMunn Lee Tergesen, Gloria Reuben, David Patrick Kelly, Kevin Weisman, Jennifer Ehle, and Michael Beach. Extras include featurettes.

Includes episodes:

• Lord Baltimore: Red faces an important person from his past and continues to battle Berlin while tangling with a new threat. Liz does her best to deal with her last showdown with Tom. 

• The Monarch Douglas Bank: Red aims to take down a corrupt bank after it’s robbed, but Liz questions his intentions. Meanwhile, a new member joins Cooper’s task force after impressing the team members.

• Dr. James Covington: The team tries to track down a sinister doctor and uncover his black-market operation. Meanwhile, Red tries to take advantage of a new opportunity in Indonesia, leaving him in a vulnerable position.Dr. Linus Creel: Nonviolent citizens become killers, prompting Red to suspect that a deadly psychological experiment has been put in motion. Meanwhile, Red offers a complicated proposition. 

• The Front: The team targets an eco-terrorist cell seeking a deadly weapon. Meanwhile, Liz attempts to lose her guardian, and Red resorts to manipulation to pursue a special someone.

• The Mombasa Cartel: Liz and Red delve into the perilous underworld of wildlife poachers when a mutilated corpse washes ashore. Elsewhere, Ressler develops a dangerous habit.

• The Scimitar: A devious hit man targets an important American scientist in the wake of an Iranian nuclear scientist’s assassination. Meanwhile, Keen tries to collect intelligence on Berlin, and Red connects with a food-truck worker.

• The Decemberist: Red tries to snuff out a new threat by traveling to Moscow with Berlin to track down a high-ranking Russian official. Meanwhile, Liz tries to keep her secret from being exposed. 

• Luther Braxton Part 1: The Task force tries to save Red when he’s arrested and taken to a secret detention facility. At the facility, Red tangles with a thief with whom he shares a complicated history.

• Luther Braxton Part 2: FBI boss Cooper tries to rescue his team in the wake of chaos at a detention facility. Elsewhere, thief Luther Braxton attempts to attain confidential information.

• Ruslan Denisov: The team aims to take down a menacing abduction master when an undercover CIA agent is kidnapped.

• The Kenyon Family: The team investigates the vanishing of a polygamous cult leader with dangerous shipping containers buried on his property. Meanwhile, Red seeks a hidden safe.

• The Deer Hunter: The task force targets a serial killer who tracks his victims like prey. Meanwhile, suspicions rise about a possible murder as Liz tries to keep her secret from being exposed.

• T. Earl King VI: Red gets entangled in a dangerous game with a wealthy family whose fortune was illegally amassed. Meanwhile, Tom delves into a new mission.

• The Major: Liz is questioned in court as a murder suspect, with the task force and her odd relationship with Red falling under scrutiny. Elsewhere, the hunt is on for a dangerous former associate who may be able to keep Liz out of prison.

• Tom Keen: As evidence mounts against Liz in the case of the murdered DC Harbormaster, a federal judge makes it clear to her that she will face severe criminal charges. Red and Ressler jump into high gear to exonerate Liz but the only solution is to find the recently…

• The Longevity Initiative: The task force tracks a scientist who abducts disabled patients to conduct experiments on immortality. Now back in Washington, DC, Tom scrambles to save himself from new enemies.

• Vanessa Cruz: The force pursues a provocative female frame-up artist targeting the moneyed elite. Elsewhere, Tom desperately seeks Liz’s help, and Red puts pressure on Liz for the Fulcrum.

• Leonard Caul: Red fights for his life while the task force races to track down a mysterious figure from his past. Also: Tom provides help in an unexpected way.

• Quon Zhang: After decoding the information that is embedded in The Fulcrum, Red is determined to stop an imminent threat. Meanwhile, the task force discovers that deceased bodies of Chinese-American women are being smuggled out of the country under false identities. Liz continues to seek answers about her past after finding a picture hidden in Red’s secret flat.

• Karakurt: Following intel from Red, the FBI find themselves one-step behind the most dangerous Russian Assassin, Karakurt, an enemy on U.S. soil. To avoid catastrophe, Liz and Ressler meet with Russian Counter-Intelligence who offer insight not only on Karakurt, but also on the identity of Liz’s mother. Cooper finds himself in a compromising position. 

• Tom Connolly: Liz discovers she’s being framed by the Cabal, prompting Red to tap into his connections to clear her name. Cooper receives stunning news and the task force is plagued by trust issues.

Diggstown

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/18/15

The con is on, and so are the laughs in this two-fisted comedy packed with surprises and rock ’em sock ’em action. James Woods and Louis Gossett, Jr. are a potent one-two punch as a pair of mismatched partners in for the scam of their lives in a movie that’s hard to resist. For con artist Gabriel Caine (Woods), Diggstown is the promise land, legendary for its high-stakes boxing matches that attract high-rollers from miles around. Gabe, recognizing a golden opportunity, bets the town’s powerful boss (Bruce Dern) that his fighter will defeat ten opponents in 24 hours. It’s far from a sure thing, though, since Gabe’s Fighter is Honey Roy Palmer (Gossett), a cranky, over-the-hill 48-year-old who has to come out of retirement. Michael Ritchie directed a top-notch cast that includes Oliver Platt, Heather Graham and Randall ‘Tex’ Cobb. Extras include featurette and trailer.

The Couch Trip

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/18/15

Dan Aykroyd is running the asylum – and ruling the airwaves – as a mental patient turned talk-radio shrink in this comedy of loony proportions co-starring Charles Grodin, Donna Dixon, Walter Matthau and Chevy Chase. When asylum inmate John Burns (Aykroyd) intercepts a call to his psychiatrist, he brashly impersonates the good doctor. And he does such a good job that he’s given an offer to fill in for a stressed-out Beverly Hills celebrity psychologist (Grodin) as the host of a call-in radio advice show. Escaping the hospital, Burns is soon gleefully crossing swords with his predecessor’s beautiful colleague (Dixon), crossing paths with a crafty crackpot (Matthau) and crossing the line into complete hilarity as his offbeat psychobabble takes ultra-trendy La-La Land by storm! Directed by Michael Ritchie (Diggstown, Prime Cut). Extras include featurettes, B-Rolls, sound bites and trailer.

Burn, Witch, Burn

Kino Lorber/ Released 8/18/15

The powers of dark magic rule the night in this chilling masterpiece of supernatural horror as a college campus turns into a nest of evil. Professor Norman Taylor (The Innocents‘ Peter Wyngarde) has been enjoying unusual success at work lately, but could it be due to the magic his wife Tansy (Janet Blair) practices in secret? A natural skeptic, Norman is infuriated upon discovering her methods, but when he destroys her protective spells, a vindictive force puts both of their lives in mortal danger, leading to a final showdown that ranks as one of the most chilling in horror history. Turn down the lights, curl up tight, and watch this all-time fright classic from legendary Twilight Zone writers Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson… if you dare. Extras include commentary, interview and trailer.

Nomads

Shout! Factory/ Released 8/18/15

There are angels who patrol Los Angeles. And then there are the Nomads.  They creep. They kill… and no one knows who they are or where they came from. But when these rootless, demonic spirits descend on a determined doctor, all hell breaks loose. Bitten by a dying madman named Jean Pommier (Pierce Brosnan), Dr. Eileen Flax (Lesley-Anne Down) becomes the vessel for his turbulent and insane thoughts. Thrust into his last days, she is shocked to discover the existence of mysterious and murderous demons on a quest for destruction… and begins her own quest to somehow stop them before she joins Pommier in his horrifying fate!  Also starring Adam Ant, Mary Woronov and Frank Doubleday and written and directed by John McTiernan. Extras include interviews, trailer, radio spot and gallery.

Strangerland

Alchemy/ Released 8/18/15

Newly arrived to a remote desert town, Catherine (Nicole Kidman) and Matthew (Joseph Fiennes) are tormented by suspicion when their two teenage children mysteriously vanish into a dust storm that leaves only cryptic incriminations and family secrets in its wake. Also stars Hugo Weaving. Extras include featurettes.

Mike & Molly: The Complete Fifth Season

Warner Home Video / Released 8/18/15

When she returns from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop with a publisher’s check in hand, it’s official: Molly’s a real writer! Now all she has to do is bang out that romance novel and start signing books. No sweat, right? As Molly struggles to cope with writer’s block, her publisher’s bizarre notes and stressful deadlines, her hubby feels the pinch. And with his in-laws living under the same roof and his partner dating Molly’s sister, Mike’s got his own world of drama to deal with. But when it comes to making true love work no matter what life throws in their way, this couple wrote the book. Extras include gag reel.

Episodes include:

• The Book of Molly: Molly returns from her writer’s workshop, much to Mike’s delight. Even better, a publisher liked Molly’s short story enough to give her a sizeable advance on her first book. Mike is relieved because the advance check will almost get him and Molly out of debt, but Molly ruins that when she buys a new car instead.

• To Have and Withhold: Molly has writer’s block, and she might lose her big advance if she doesn’t cure it fast. Carl suggests to Mike that getting sex regularly since returning from her workshop has stifled Molly’s creativity. Mike then reluctantly tries to shun Molly’s sexual advances.

• Tis the Season to Be Molly: Mike (as Santa Claus) and Carl (as an elf) hand out toys to needy children, then get locked in the back of a truck while loading it. At home, Molly has the whole family on edge as she insists on every holiday preparation being done to her exact specifications. When it is revealed that Molly does this to honor her late father, Vince worries that Molly will never accept him as a member of the family.

• Gone Cheatin: Mike, Carl, Samuel, Vince and Harry are preparing for their annual “guys weekend” fishing trip, when Carl irritates the group by announcing he has invited Victoria. This causes Mike to feel like he has to invite Molly, and Vince follows suit by inviting Joyce. As they get ready to leave, Victoria tells Molly she has cheated on Carl with an old boyfriend, leading to an awkward drive to the fishing site.

• Molly’s Neverending Story: The family is exasperated after Molly proclaims her book is finished, only to decide she wants to tweak the characters again or make it raunchier (as suggested by Peggy’s surprisingly filthy church friends). Mike says she should be confident in her work, then quickly emails the file to Molly’s publisher. After Molly becomes furious, Mike hires Harry to hack into the publisher’s computer.

• The Last Temptation of Mike: A rookie female cop named Stacey (Sarah Baker) playfully flirts with Mike at work, but things escalate when she surprises him with a kiss after hours. A guilt-ridden Mike decides to tell Molly, who then goes on the attack.

• Support Your Local Samuel: Samuel contemplates moving back to Africa when he receives a letter from his parents saying they’re struggling financially. Instead, he assumes ownership of Abe’s Diner when the owner says he’s looking to unload it on anyone willing to take on the debt. With financial help from Vince, Samuel reopens the restaurant as Abe’s Hot Beef.

• Mike Check: When Molly finds out that Mike hasn’t had any doctor check-ups in years, she nags him into going. The first time around, Mike skips the visit and pretends he went, but Molly sees through it.

• Hack to the Future: Molly meets Xander, her publisher, for the first time. While he is praiseworthy, he feels the book could become a phenomenon if Molly works time travel into it. Expecting a big windfall upon hearing the news, Mike splurges on some new clothing. After several failed attempts at doing the publisher’s bidding, however, Molly ultimately tricks him into accepting her original draft.

• Checkpoint Joyce: While Mike and Carl are working a drunk driving checkpoint, Joyce pulls up. Mike intends to let her through after she answers a few questions, but she is belligerent and insulting so he hauls her into the station. After a few members of the household suggest to Joyce that she cut back on her drinking, she lashes out and insists that they all give up their various vices.

• Immaculate Deception: Mike and Molly finally have the house to themselves for the weekend, but find that the weekend gets interrupted.
  

• The World According to Peggy: Peggy announces that she is retiring, and Molly organizes a party for her. She goes to the school to invite some fellow lunch ladies, and learns that Peggy didn’t retire, she was fired. Mike insists they must have the party anyway and go along with Peggy’s lie, something he’s learned to do over the years.

• Buy the Book: Molly is thrilled to see her book in print, but now comes the difficult task of trying to market it. In the midst of her frustration, however, Molly gets an idea for a follow-up book from an unlikely source: Peggy.
  

• What Ever Happened to Baby Peggy?: While interviewing Peggy to get a back story for the next book, Molly comes across a corn husk doll that Peggy’s own mother made for her. Peggy clams up and won’t speak about her past anymore, then later shows up drunk at the Flynn house. Mike insists his family doesn’t talk about their feelings, but Molly persists and eventually gets to the root of Peggy’s misgivings. When Mike finds out from Molly, he leaves to go hug his mom.

• Pie Fight: After eating a piece of pie at Abe’s that undoes some of the progress Mike had made on his weight, he decides to not eat at all the next day. This only makes Mike irritable and he punches a fellow officer, getting himself suspended.

• Cocktails and Calamine: Molly doesn’t want Mike to know about a highbrow party for fellow writers she’s been invited to. When he finds out, she tells him she doesn’t think he’d enjoy it, but she’s secretly afraid to take him because he might do or say something stupid.

• Mudlick or Bust: Needing to get a better feel for Peggy’s home town to write her story, Molly decides the two must take a road trip to Mudlick, Missouri. Molly secretly arranges a reunion between Peggy and her estranged sister Rosemary (Margo Martindale), which turns out badly when it is clear that Rosemary still harbors a 50-year old grudge. At home, Vince gets Mike involved in betting on the NCAA Basketball Tournament games.

• No Kay Morale: Kay (Kathy Bates) returns, and Peggy and Molly fight for her attention as usual. Molly notices Kay has lost her joy and drive, and tries to help her find it again. Meanwhile, Mike and Carl deal with a protest downtown that Kay surprisingly becomes a part of.

• Mother From Another Mudlick: Their feud ended, Rosemary pays a visit to Peggy’s home and quickly makes friends among the gang with her cooking skills and cheerful nature. As Mike gets to know his aunt, he learns that Rosemary was clearly favored by her parents growing up, while Peggy was shunned.

• Fight to the Finish: Molly gets frustrated with Peggy always doing something else around the house instead of helping her finish the book. In the end, the book gets done, and Peggy grudgingly admits she didn’t want it to get finished because it would mean she and Molly won’t be hanging together as much. Meanwhile, Mike gets into a brief discussion with Molly that makes her mad, so he later asks Victoria and Joyce to give him lessons on what he did wrong.

• Near Death Do Us Part: After Carl and Mike have a near-death experience while on duty, Carl tells Mike he’s going to propose to Victoria. Mike can’t keep the secret and tells Molly, who in turn blabs to Victoria and Joyce. This becomes an issue when Carl later tells Mike he’s changed his mind and doesn’t want to propose to Victoria yet.

• The Bitter Man and the Sea: It’s Mike and Molly’s third anniversary, and Mike makes plans to take Molly and the family on a cruise of Lake Michigan. However, bad blood is still lingering between Carl and Victoria, so Mike has to uninvite Carl even though Carl gave him the idea for the cruise. While Molly is thrilled with the cruise, the situation puts Mike’s relationship with his partner and best friend in jeopardy.

The Rebel: The Complete Series

Shout! Factory / Released 8/18/15

‘Til his dyin’ breath, he’d search his soul and gamble with death. The Rebel follows the exploits of former Confederate soldier Johnny Yuma. Haunted by his experiences in the Civil War, and obsessed with chronicling his adventures in his journal, the young and intense Yuma wanders the West in search of causes to champion, wrongs to be righted… and his own inner peace. With both a revolver and a double-barreled shotgun at the ready, Yuma is more than a match for anyone who crosses his path.

Featuring the classic theme song and a stampede’s worth of guest stars in all 76 original episodes, The Rebel: The Complete Series is cause for fans of classic television westerns to rejoice. Guest stars include John Carradine, Claude Akins, James Best, Victor Buono, Johnny Cash, Jack Elam, Jamie Farr, Mark Goddard, Clu Gulager, Richard Jaeckel, Strother Martin, Terry Moore, Agnes Moorehead, Leonard Nimoy, Warren Oates, Tex Ritter, Soupy Sales, William Schallert, and Robert Vaughn.  Extras include featurettes, interview, commercials, still gallery and pilot for A.J. Fenady’s proposed companion series, The Yank.

The Royals: Season 1

Lionsgate / Released 8/18/15

Set in modern-day England, The Royals follows the lives of a fictional British Royal family that inhabits a world of opulence and regal tradition catering to any and every desire – a world that also comes with a price tag of duty, destiny and intense public scrutiny.

Starring Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers franchise) as the seductive and scheming Queen Helena, the scandalously fun and deliciously devious series features a sexy cast, including William Moseley (The Chronicles of Narnia franchise), Merritt Patterson (TV’s “Ravenswood”), Vincent Regan (300) and newcomer Alexandra Park. Extras include featurettes.

Includes the episodes:

• Stand and Unfold Yourself: After the sudden death of their older brother and heir to the throne, Prince Liam and a Princess Eleanor have a hard time with their new roles; Queen Helena tries to maintain the family’s image; King Simon questions the monarchy’s future.

• Infants of the Spring: Despite the King’s reservations, Queen Helena goes ahead with a planned garden party to honor the country’s soldiers. Prince Liam’s past love clashes with his new affection and Princess Eleanor continues to be the rebel in the family.

• We Are Pictures, or Mere Beasts: The Queen and Princess Eleanor throw competing fashion shows; Prince Liam narrowly avoids disaster.

• Sweet, Not Lasting: Prince Liam does his first PR tour; Queen Helena forces Princess Eleanor to do a PR tour of London.

• Unmask Her Beauty to the Moon: Prince Liam, Princess Eleanor and Queen Helena’s romances are a popular topic at a masquerade ball.

• The Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune: A trip to Monaco helps Prince Liam and Ophelia’s relationship blossom.

• Your Sovereignty of Reason: The king makes a decision that affects the family; Ophelia’s PR tour issues.

• The Great Man Down: The Royal Family is put on lockdown in a safe room at the palace after an assassination attempt.

• In My Heart There Was a Kind of Fighting: Prince Robert is visited by someone from his past; Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor’s demons.

• Our Wills and Fates Do So Contrary Run: Each character faces truth in the season finale. You find out what really happened to Prince Robert and by the end of the episode someone else will join him. Ophelia and Liam make a decision regarding their relationship and their future together. The Queen and Prince Cyrus grow distrustful towards each other which grows more evident in this episode. A lot of heartbreaking moments. Throughout the episode a lot of questions are answered as many more door are opened.

Z-Storm

Well Go USA/ Released 8/18/15

A scandal that shocked a nation: the biggest financial scam in Hong Kong’s history, with all 7 million citizens its unknowing victims. Chief Officer Luk (Louis Koo) of anti-corruption force ICAC has set a trap, but the web of greed, power, sex, and deception he uncovers reaches the highest levels of power in his own government- and beyond.

Also starring Michael Wong, Gordon Lam, and Dada Chen, the firestorm ignited by Operation Z Storm exposes a network of shadow agencies and puppet masters of power, connected through a global underworld. Extras include interviews and making of.

Jeff Foxworthy Show: The Complete Series

Mill Creek Ent. / Released 8/18/15

If you’re a redneck, then… you’ll love Jeff Foxworthy in his first TV show! Foxworthy, a popular stand-up comic, stars as a hardworking husband and father. With his loving wife Karen and precocious son Matt (Haley Joel Osment), he has a single-family house full of double-wide laughs!

Together, the Foxworthy clan is giving the Midwest a taste of Southern hilarity. As the owner of a heating and air company, Jeff takes his signature brand of humor and turns the American dream on its ear. Between paying his mortgage, running his business and raising his son, he learns what every self-respecting redneck knows: tractor pulls come and go, but family is forever. Guest stars include Guest stars include Peter Dante, Harry Morgan, Travis Tritt, Debra Jo Rupp, Bill Erwin, Jay Mohr, G.W. Bailey, Jonathan Lipnicki, Bill Engvall, Alan Jackson, Robert Keeshan, and Macho Man Randy Savage.

Episodes include:

• Jeff’s Life 101: Jeff plans to pay off his father-in-law only to find out his son just entered a costly program and his wife Karen has another surprise for him.

• A Non-Affair to Remember: One of Karen’s co-workers flirts with Jeff and he feels guilty until Karen’s high school flame comes back to town and his jealousy takes over. Walt torments Russ after he gets stuck in a dark vent.

• The Gene Pool: Having never learned to swim himself, Jeff believes Matt should, even though he doesn’t want to.

• Elliot and Victoria’s Secret: Kathy’s dad Elliot tells Jeff a big secret about his past while on a fishing trip; Russ and Walt happily tackle a repair job at a lingerie store.

• Womb with a View: The director of Matt’s gifted program once accused Jeff of shoddy workmanship; a video of Karen giving birth gets onto the school’s tape exchange.

• With Two You Get Cow’s Milk: Jeff and Elliot look for a glass of milk — straight from the cow — when they team up for a Halloween scavenger hunt.

• Jeff & Ray & Rascal’s Big Adventure: Jeff’s not an idiot, it just looks that way when he looks after Elliot’s pampered pooch and restless shut-in Raymond, for whom Karen is the usual caretaker.

• A Sore Winner: The Foxworthys appear on “America’s Funniest Home Videos.”

• He’s Making a List, Checking It Twice: When Jeff fails to set up the family’s annual Christmas portrait, he gets unwitting help from country singer Travis Tritt, whose tour-bus heater he repairs.

• Foxworthy Family Feud: Jeff tries to remain neutral in the marital battle between Karen’s sister Gayle and her husband Dennis, but Gayle uses Jeff’s ambiguous advice and drops a bombshell.

• Matt About You: A note from Matt’s school causes confusion when Jeff misinterprets Matt’s denial of misbehaving ; Karen and Jeff double date with Gayle and her potential beau.

• Clan of the Bare Caves: With Jeff’s help, Gayle brings her things down from up north, while the heating-and-air business continues to head south for Jeff.

• Before You Say: Jeff’s younger brother Wayne arrives with big ideas about how to save the business, but Jeff is reluctant to become partners with his unpredictable sibling.

• Deedee Day:Without consulting Jeff, Wayne hires his flame, a Cajun spitfire, as the shop’s receptionist, and Jeff flares at the news.

• He Ain’t Heavy, He’s a Bully: Wayne fears someone from his past is out for revenge; and Elliot is afraid there’s no limit to Lois’s suddenly insatiable amorous desires.

• Moonstruck: Exposure to chicken pox means Matt can’t be around pregnant Karen for a few days, so he and Jeff moves in with Wayne, who helps expose his nephew to the Foxworthy family’s wild side.

• Shootout at the Comedy Corral: Wayne’s success as a stand-up comic inspires Jeff to shoot from the lip to prove he’s the funnier Foxworthy.

• One Wedding and a Baby: Karen finally delivers her baby. Wayne and DeeDee decide to get married.

• Where the Donuts are Good, Not Great: The family has to adjust after moving back to Jeff’s hometown in Georgia.

• The List is Strife: To better communication, Karen suggests that she and Jeff each make lists of things for the other to work on.

• The Poor Sportsmen of the Apocalypse: Jeff and the guys head out to “go head to head with the brutalities of nature” – and each other – on a hunting trip. Karen contemplates getting rid of a newly discovered picture of (the mustached) Great Grandma “Mee-Maw” Foxworthy.

• My Dinner with Betty: Karen invites Bill’s ex-wife, Betty, to dinner, which gets Jeff in trouble with all his friends. He’s in even more trouble when Betty starts blurting out intimate details of her and Bill’s marriage. Meanwhile, Matt and Nettie try to con Justin out of his money by inviting him to join their club.

• The Gift: After Big Jim gets kicked out by one girlfriend, he lands in the arms of another, and Jeff ponders his dad’s special “gift.”

• The Practical Joke: The new boss wants Jeff to send Ebb and Candy packing, while Florus and Bill trick the pair into thinking they’ve won the lottery.

• Puppy Love Triangle: The Foxworthys worry that Matt is spending too much time with Nettie after his teacher, Miss Blosier, says he’s been distracted in school lately. Turns out Matt has a crush on Miss Blosier, which becomes more complicated when Big Jim begins to turn on his charm.

• Like Florus, Like Son: Upset over Jeff’s strictness, Matt hits the road as a stowaway in Florus’s truck.

• The Thanksgiving Episode: On Thanksgiving, the Foxworthys open the door to a cornucopia of characters, despite Karen’s desire to keep things simple.

• Merry Christmas, Y’all: Jeff and Big Jim are arrested for cutting down a Christmas tree in a state park.

• Feud for Thought: Karen tries to end a long-standing family feud by inviting the rival Raffertys to dinner.

• Can’t Teach An Old Dog New Trick: The townspeople plan an elaborate funeral for the Foxworthys’ beloved dog — to be buried in a plot alongside one earmarked for Karen.

• The Briarton Syndrome: Jeff’s new boss has an accident causing what appears to be a toxic spill on the loading dock — and prompting an emergency two-day quarantine.

• Jeff, You The Man: Jeff’s victory in a “mud bogging” race makes him a hero, but things get down and dirty when his rival Mario Andretti heists his trophy.

• Big Dogs: Bill drags Jeff along to an infomercial seminar conducted by an inspirational self-help guru with a down-home style.

• Foxworthy Shall Rise Again: Jeff’s new boss volunteers all loading-dock employees to re-enact the Civil War Battle of Briarton. Meanwhile, DMV records indicate Jeff is dead.

• Gone Fishin’: Karen hooks Jeff into a fishing trip with a new friend and her annoying husband.

• Mooseface Loves Nuzzles: Jeff promises to do something romantic for Karen, but he gets sidetracked by a trip to a roadhouse with Big Jim and the boys from work — where Jeff’s chivalrous act on behalf of a waitress puts him in hot water at home.

• The Good, The Bad and The Hairless: Ostracized at school after he wins the Most Courteous Student Award, Matt decides to be a prankster just like Jeff.

• Real Men: Karen’s business trip ruins Jeff’s plans for their anniversary, which he winds up spending with Bill.

• Wrestling Opera: Matt talks Jeff into a night of pro wrestling to avoid a class trip to the opera.
• Twister of Fate: As the Foxworthys brace for a tornado, Jeff and Karen wonder who would look after the kids if anything happened to them.

• Field of Schemes: It’s a baseball game! Packing company vs. Lumber company

Vendetta

Lionsgate/ Released 8/18/15

Dean Cain stars as Mason Danvers, a detective seeking vengeance on Victor Abbott (WWE Superstar “The Big Show”), the violent felon who brutally murdered Mason’s wife. To reach Abbot in jail, Mason deliberately commits a crime to seek his revenge. Once inside the prison walls, Mason discovers nothing is as it seems in this electrifying thriller packed with punishing action. Extras include featurettes.

Hammer Film Collection

Mill Creek Entertainment / Released 8/18/15

Includes:

• The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960): Absorbed in research directed towards freeing the two natures of man, Dr. Jekyll degenerates in to Mr. Hyde, a vengeful maniac. While Hyde wants revenge against a gambler whom his wife is in love with, Dr. Jekyll, takes steps to do away with his evil self. Starring: Paul Massie, Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee, David Kossoff, Norma Marla, Francis De Wolff.

• Scream of Fear (1961): A young wheelchair-bound woman returns to her father’s estate to find he’s away on business, but she keeps seeing his dead body in various places. Her stepmother and other house guests employ a plan to drive her insane and take her inheritance. Starring: Susan Strasberg, Ronald Lewis, Ann Todd, Christopher Lee, John Serret, Leonard Sachs.

• The Gorgon (1964): In a rural village, a series of murders have been committed where each victim was turned into stone. A local professor investigates and finds an evil Gorgon haunting a nearby castle and in search of more victims. Starring: Christopher Lee, Peter Cushing, Richard Pasco, Barbara Shelley, Michael Goddliffe, Patrick Troughton.

• Stop Me Before I Kill! (1961):  After a horrific car crash, race car driver Alan Colby goes on vacation to recover, but suffers blackouts and violent outbursts. With his wife by his side, he visits a psychiatrist who promises to cure Alan’s suffering but they have now encountered a mind more unbalanced and disturbed. Starring: Claude Dauphin, Diane Cilento, Ronald Lewis, Françoise Rosay, Bernard Braden, Katya Douglas.
  

• The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964): An American showman and financier disrupts the coffin of a mummified pharoah and finds it empty. The mummy has escaped to fulfill the dreadful prophesy and exact a violent and bloody revenge on all those who defiled his final resting place. Starring: Terence Morgan, Ronald Howard, Fred Clark, Jeanne Roland, George Pastell, Jack Gwillim.

William Castle Film Collection

Mill Creek Entertainment/ Released 8/18/15

Iconic horror director William Castle created a simple, but winning formula for his films: a little comedy, a lot of scares, a preposterous gimmick, and a clear sense that fright films should be fun. This even meant Castle would, like Alfred Hitchcock, appear in his trailers and even the movies themselves. Though his career spanned 35 years and included everything from westerns to crime thrillers, he’ll always be remembered for his horror films from the late 50s to the mid-60s. Enjoy 5 of his spine-tingling classics!

Includes:

• 13 Ghosts (1960): When an eccentric uncle wills a huge, ramshackle house to his impoverished family, they get the shock of a lifetime. Their new residence comes complete with a spooky housekeeper, plus a fortune in buried treasure and 12 horrifying ghosts. Starring: Charles Herbert, Jo Morrow, Martin Milner, Rosemary DeCamp. Donald Woods, Margaret Hamilton.

• 13 Frightened Girls (1963): The girls of a Swiss boarding school have one thing in common they are all daughters of diplomats. One in particular finds out that she has a knack for espionage, and uncovers the murder of a Russian diplomat. Now she must escape using her girlish wiles. Starring: Murray Hamilton, Joyce Taylor, Hugh Marlowe, Khigh Dhiegh, Charlie Briggs, Norma Varden.

• Mr. Sardonicus (1961): Desperate to retrieve a winning lottery ticket, a greedy man unearths his father’s corpse. An enormous jackpot is his reward, but not without a price: his face is frozen permanently into a hideous grin. He enlists his one-eyed servant to help him lift the curse.  Starring: Ronald Lewis, Audrey Dalton, Guy Rolfe, Oskar Homolka, Vladimir Sokoloff, Erika Peters.

• Homicidal (1961): In the small town of Solvang, there’s a killer on the loose and the nurse taking care of a wheelchair bound stroke victim has a bedside manner is to die for. As the truth is uncovered, a town’s most chilling mystery will be revealed… and a family’s darkest secret. Starring: Glenn Corbett, Patricia Breslin, Eugenie Leontovich, Alan Bunce, Richard Rust, James Westerfield.

• The Old Dark House (1963): An American car salesman living in London, is invited to spend the weekend at the Femm Estate. The Femms, trapped in the house due to an ancestor’s will, live in fear as they are taken out one at a time. Tom is left to figure out who the killer is before he becomes a victim himself! Starring: Tom Poston, Robert Morley, Janette Scott, Joyce Grenfell, Mervyn Jones, Fenella Fielding.

Teen Titans Go! House Pests (Season Two Part Two)

Warner Bros. / Released 8/18/15

The hyperactive heroes are back for another round of mischief, mayhem and messy food adventures! Robin, Cyborg, Raven, Starfire and Beast Boy continue their pizza eating, video game playing, TV obsessing exploits. Join the heroes in saving the world while having a ton of fun!

Episodes include:

• Robin Backwards: Nibor, the Bizzaro World’s Robin, arrives in Jump City, and the Titans decide they should probably keep an eye on him. Robin tries to express his “rules”, but Nibor does the opposite of what he is told, and the other Titans follow in unison. After an unsuccessful time, Robin joins the Bizzaro Titans.

• Crazy Day: It’s Crazy Day again and Raven must do her best to avoid being driven completely crazy by the other Titans, while dealing with a major headache.

• Smile Bones: Cyborg and Beast Boy develop a habit of wolfing down their food without savoring it like the other titans do. This becomes problematic in the form of giant stomach monsters.

• Real Boy Adventures: After transforming into “Fleshy Guy”, Cyborg discovers the ups and downs of being human.

• Hose Water: The discovery of a baby bird fuels Starfire and Cyborg to discover their inner children have been awakened.

• Let’s Get Serious!: After the Young Justice heroes easily take out the H.I.V.E. while the Teen Titans make silly jokes, Robin makes the team become more serious, hoping to unite the team. It works, and the Titans personalities are changed drastically.

• Tamaranian Vacation: The Titans visit Starfire’s home world of Tamaran to try and learn what makes her so sweet and loving. Unfortunately, Tamaran is not exactly what it seems, and they find out the reason for Starfire’s boundless optimism.

• Rocks and Water: Raven and Beast Boy are surprised to discover that their ex-sweethearts, Terra and Aqualad, are dating each other. Raven and Beast Boy pair up and double date with their ex-couple to make them jealous, while Robin tries to get closer to Starfire with Cyborg being the third wheel.

• Multiple Trick Pony: Robin insists that he is a “Multiple Trick Pony” when Kid Flash shows him up with his speed.

• Truth, Justice, and What?: Pizza is the source of the Titans’ goofy humor.

• Two Bumble Bees and a Wasp: When Robin tries to teach the others to have more respect for money, he ends up learning a lesson.

• Oil Drums: Cyborg is looking forward to a marathon of 80’s television shows, but the remote appears to be lost.

• Video Game References: The Titans immerse themselves in different video game worlds.

• Cool School: Rose Wilson escapes from prison, defeating the Titans with cool one liners. Only Raven is immune to Rose’s insults, and the two decide to hang out and do cool stuff together. Meanwhile, Cyborg, Starfire and Beast Boy feel lame by comparison, so they go to Cool School. Robin, however, goes off on a tirade and constantly stalks the two until Rose is once again imprisoned.

• Kicking a Ball and Pretending to Be Hurt: Robin teaches the Titans how to play soccer. They quickly become obsessed, and accidentally uncover the secret reason why the sport is so popular.

• Head Fruit: When Beast Boy’s head starts to rattle, Robin suggests that he should find a hobby so that his brain will stop shrinking. Beast Boy and his brain agree to take up gardening.

• Yearbook Madness: Beast Boy and Cyborg decide to create a yearbook for the Titans, and Robin goes crazy trying to become the most popular Titan.

• Beast Man: Beast Boy discovers that he can use his abilities to turn himself into an adult. The Titans’ take advantage of this to go to the movies to see Death Toilet III and other things that require parental guidance.

• Operation Tin Man: Cyborg spends time with Jinx and befriends Gizmo while the rest of the team tries to rescue him.

• Nean: Raven’s father curses her to be nice. Starfire is going to marry a pot of chili.

• Campfire Stories: While camping, Robin suggests they all tell a scary campfire story.

• And the Award for Sound Design Goes to Rob: Raven makes a deal with the Whisperer to remove all sound.

• The HIVE Five: The H.I.V.E. Five are sick of the Titans’ always beating them, so they decide to take a day off and stay as far from the Teen Titans as possible…if they can.

• The Return of Slade: After defeating their most devious of enemies, Slade, Cyborg and Beast bring a clown to party which terrifies Starfire. However, they modify the clown and he goes off on a rampage; tainting kids entertainment everywhere.

• More of the Same: It’s New Year’s Eve, and the Titans’ are trying to master all of the traditions to make sure they have a good new year.

• Some of Their Parts: Robin uses the prism from “Colors of Raven” to split the others’ into their core personalities (despite saying they’re greater then some of their parts) so he can make the world’s best fighting team. However, Robin becomes selfish & divides him into his personalities, finding that he has no good personality and Silkie’s emoticlones must defeat him.

Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

Lionsgate/ Released 8/18/15

Based on The New York Times best-seller, and starring Kelli Garner, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe begins with the young Norma Jeane Mortenson as she battles a lonely, loveless existence with an absent and mentally ill mother. She ultimately reinvents herself as the sex symbol of an era. A fragile artist, she is very different from the larger-than-life image she portrayed. The great secret of Marilyn’s life is that her mother, Gladys (Susan Sarandon), remained a vital — and troubling — part of her world. Her marriages to Joe DiMaggio (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Arthur Miller collapse in part due to her own inner demons and the onslaught of her mother’s illness. As Marilyn cares for her mother, her obsession with President John F. Kennedy leads to a breakdown and hospitalization. Still, she gives the performance of her life as Marilyn Monroe.

The Walking Dead: Season 5 

Starz / Anchor Bay / Released 8/25/15

The previous season of The Walking Dead ended with Rick and the group outgunned, outnumbered, and trapped in a train car awaiting a grim fate.

What follows is a story that weaves the true motives of the people of Terminus with the hopeful prospect of a cure in Washington, D.C., the fate of the group’s lost comrades, as well as new locales, new conflicts, and new obstacles in keeping the group together and staying alive. Stories will break apart and intersect. The characters will find love and hate. Peace and conflict. Contentment and terror. And, in the quest to find a permanent, safe place to call home, one question will haunt them…

After all they’ve seen, all they’ve done, all they’ve sacrificed, lost, and held on to no matter what the cost…Who do they become? Extras include commentaries, deleted scenes, and featurettes.

Includes Episodes:

• No Sanctuary: We learn the true motives of the Terminans as Rick and the group find themselves in a vulnerable situation. Will they be able to work together?

• Strangers: With supplies running low and not knowing whether to trust the people around them, Rick leads a mission where the risk might not be worth the reward.

• Four Walls and a Roof: Rick and the group find themselves pitted against some very nasty people, but our group might just have a plan to gain the upper hand.

• Slabtown: In this episode we get to meet a whole group of other survivors, but what looks safe and nice on the outside has a bit of a dark side.

• Self Help: A new set of issues confront our group while on a mission. Will they be able to push through and survive these challenges? Or better yet, 

• Consumed: Cautiously, members of our group must venture into a familiar location on a heroic rescue mission. It’s a huge stage, but so are the stakes.

• Crossed: Between holding down the church and going on a rescue mission, our group is spread pretty thin. Is this going to be the breaking point?

• Coda: Rules and morals have been tossed aside by new enemies. Rick will try to find a peaceful agreement, but they might prefer violence.

• What Happened and What’s Going On: After all the recent trials the group has faced, a slight detour might prove to be the solution they’ve been looking for.

• Them: Life on the road has left the group beaten and beleaguered. Will they be able to trudge along? Are they even the same people they once were?

• The Distance: Lasting through a spectacular storm, Rick and the group meet a seemingly friendly person. Can they be trusted or are they just manipulating Rick?

• Remember: Molding into a new lifestyle is proving difficult for the group. Has life on the road proven too treacherous to go back to who they once were?

• Forget: Rick and the group continue to acclimate to their new surroundings. Will they be able to go back to normalcy? Better yet, what is normal now?

• Spend: While trying to secure their new home, Rick and his group face many challenges, some life threatening. Is this really the utopia it seems to be?

• Try: The group realizes that sheltered life might not be possible as life within the walls starts to mimic life outside. Will these setbacks break Rick?

• Conquer: Daryl experiences trouble on a run while Rick and his group continue to feel like outsiders in Alexandria, where trouble is creeping into the gates.

LEGO DC Super Heroes: Justice League: Attack of the Legion of Doom!

Warner Home Video / Released 8/25/15

The Justice League starts to fall apart when they try to decide who should be nominated as te am leader and a new member sows seeds of discontent among them, all while the world’s super villains are forming their own team to destroy the League once and for all.

Crime is on the run as the newly formed Justice League keeps Metropolis safe and this makes evil genius Lex Luthor very unhappy. Together with Black Manta, Sinestro and a gang of ruthless recruits, Lex builds his own league and declares them the Legion of Doom. With this super powered team of terror and a plan to attack the top-secret government site, Area 52, can Lex finally be on the verge of victory? Sound the “Trouble Alert” and get ready for the bricks to fly when Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and the rest of the Justice League face off against the world’s greatest Super-Villains. Extras include featurette.

Last Word:  If the DC Comics incarnation of these characters were half as much fun as their depiction in this movie, we’d might be seeing Batman & Superman in theaters, rather than Batman V Superman. Sure, this movie is a bit silly and there’s more than enough moments of puns, jokes and silliness, but, it’s fun, true to the characters and memorable.  Sure, using the LEGO style and archtypes instantly puts it in a certain younger audience, but the tongue in cheek content won’t disappoint or bore the adults in the room.  Especially since the movie includes not only robo-monkeys, but also ends with a super hero dance party.

  
The Last Dragon: 30th Anniversary Edition

Sony / Released 8/25/15

Martial arts student Leroy Green (Taimak) is on a quest to obtain the elusive all-powerful force known as “The Glow.” Along the way, he must battle the evil, self-proclaimed “Shogun of Harlem” – a kung fu warrior also known as Sho’nuff (Julius J. Carry III) – and rescue a beautiful singer (Prince protge Vanity) from an obsessed record promoter.

Combining pulsating music, cutting-edge dancing and the best in non-stop action, Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon is kickin’ good fun featuring an amazing Motown soundtrack, including music by Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, Vanity and DeBarge performing their smash hit “Rhythm of the Night .”
Extras include trailer, commentary and featurette.

Last Word: Combining mysticism and hip-hop street culture, the iconic eighties film The Last Dragon is a nostalgia fuelled flashback to this unique, entertaining adventure.  An endearing and terrically entertaining slice of cheese, The Last Dragon fell into the same category of 80’s kung fu mysticism popcorn movies (which included The Golden Child and Big Trouble in Little China) and the visual influences brought on by the popularity of MTV.  Regardless of the anniversary, there’s a certain timelessness to The Last Dragon that’s sure to capture the imagination of today’s younger viewers.  

Easy Money / Men At Work

Shout! Factory / Released 8/25/15

Easy Money
No cheating! No gambling! No booze! No smoking! No pizza! No nothin’! Monty Capuletti (comedy legend Rodney Dangerfield) is a hard-living baby photographer with a family that’d drive anyone to drink. But when his mother-in-law passes away, the irresponsible Monty stands to earn a big inheritance… if he can give up all of his well-worn vices for a full year. With temptation around every corner, can Monty give up his ways of hard living for some Easy Money?

With a terrific supporting cast including Academy Award-winning actor Joe Pesci (Goodfellas) and Jennifer Jason Leigh (Fast Times At Ridgemont High), Dangerfield’s respectable talents are on full display in this comedy favorite…as always, he makes getting big laughs look Easy.

Men At Work

The laughs don’t stop with Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez in the anything-but-trashy comedy Men At Work. Rebellious garbage collectors Carl (Sheen) and James (Estevez) are always up to mix a little mischief with their sanitation engineering. But when they discover a little something extra in their usual pick-up (the body of a local politician), the two find themselves in more trouble than usual. Something about all this stinks worse than the garbage they collect: and it could easily spell doom for both their town and their lives! Featuring Leslie Hope, Dean Cameron and Keith David (They Live) and written and directed by Estevez, Men At Work is a comedy you can’t refuse (get it? It’s a joke about trash!)!

   
Metamorphosis / Beyond Darkness

Shout! Factory / Released 8/25/15

Metamorphosis

First up is the science-fiction/horror of Metamorphosis! When his experiments in genetics are mocked by his colleagues, maverick scientist Dr. Peter Houseman takes extreme measures to prove that his untested anti-aging serum works. Injecting himself with his miracle “cure, “, he soon experiences a terrifying change within himself that threatens not only the lives of those around him, but also his own sanity. From cult cinema mainstay George Eastman, Metamorphosis proves that nightmares may change, but fear is forever!

Beyond Darkness

Next, take a terrifying trip into a world beyond fear, beyond belief… Beyond Darkness. When a man of God and his loving family move into a new house, they think they’ve found the perfect home… until they discover that their new digs were once the location where a coven of witches were burned at the stake! It’s only a matter of time before the radio starts blaring satanic chants and the cutlery takes on a mind of its own. Will the awakened evil in this house have its final revenge, or can a plucky priest fend off what lurks Beyond Darkness? This tale of terror comes from Claudio Fragasso, the director of Troll 2 (so you know it’s good!).

Harry

Acorn Media / Released 8/25/15

Still grieving his wife’s suicide, Detective Harry Anglesea (Oscar Kightley, Samoan Wedding) returns to Auckland’s Major Crime Unit after bereavement leave in his native Samoa. Although he’s eager to jump back into his job, his self-destructive behavior hints that he may not be ready. His 13-year-old daughter, Mele, is even less ready for life as usual and desperately needs her father’s attention. But Harry and his boss, DSS Jim “Stocks” Stockton (Sam Neill, Jurassic Park), soon become engrossed in a high-profile case.

After a series of violent robberies turns fatal, the city clamors for the police to catch the killer. Harry traces the crime from a drug-crazed gunman to the street gangs that peddle methamphetamine, though there may be larger forces at play. But the investigations leads him on a downward spiral that could destroy his career and what remains of his family. Gritty and suspenseful, this award-winning drama probes the narcotics underworld of New Zealand’s largest city and the toll it takes on those caught in its grip. Extras include photo gallery.

Episodes include:

• This Is Personal: Harry returns from a month’s leave, with provisional clearance from the shrink to return to duties.

• He’s Very Important, This Boy: The police start arresting people based on Lua’s evidence. Mele skips school.

• He’s the Weak Link: Harry attempts to face his demons. Spud is given an ultimatum. Chocka steps up his game.

• Play with Fire: Colin’s wife tells him she was raped, while Chocka talks to his lawyer about getting Colin released on bail. Gray pursues his investigation against Harry. Harry worries about Mele.

• You Lied To Me: Chisholm’s body is found in the bush. Kwan and Fahey are under surveillance. Gray at Professional Standards continue their hunt. Mele lies to her father about an overnight stay at a girlfriend’s.

• God Bless Brutus: Everything comes together as the new cook processes the drugs and the police close in. Mele skips school and fails to return home. Gray continues his pursuit of Harry.

Elementary: The Third Season

Paramount / Released 8/25/15

In the City That Never Sleeps, one mind never rests. The eccentric detective Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller) possesses an unquenchable thirst for intellectual puzzles and a ruthless instinct for justice. As a consulting detective to the NYPD, he takes on bizarre cases that baffle the most seasoned cops. But he can’t do it alone. Holmes relies on Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), a former physician who’s the one person who can keep up with his racing mind. Their partnership may be challenging, but it’s nowhere near as difficult as the impossible mysteries that lead them on breathtaking chases through New York City’s maddening maze. Guest stars include Gina Gershon, Stuart Townsend, Sutton Foster, Michael Weston, Eric Bogosian, Phil Simms, Mamie Gummer, Fisher Stevens, and Candis Cayne. Extras include featurettes, commentary and gag reel.

Episodes include:

• Enough Nemesis To Go Around: Holmes returns to New York with a new apprentice and a renewed interest in working with the NYPD after being fired by London’s MI6. 

• The Five Orange Pipz: When Holmes and Watson join forces on a double homicide, Sherlock’s new apprentice, Kitty, threatens the investigation when she allows her jealousy of Sherlock and Joan’s work rapport to override her better judgment.

• Just A Regular Irregular: Sherlock helps a math genius from his network of “Irregulars” experts after he stumbles upon a body while participating in a math puzzle competition. 

• Bella: When a groundbreaking artificial intelligence software program is stolen, Sherlock agrees to take on the case, but enlists Joan’s assistance in solving it when he becomes more interested in disproving the computer’s abilities than finding the thief.

• Rip Off: Sherlock and Kitty investigate the murder of a small postal store owner whose death is connected to the illegal diamond trade.

• Terra Pericolosa: Holmes and Watson search for a thief who committed murder to steal a rare map. 

• The Adventure of the Nutmeg Concoction: A bored Sherlock forces his investigative services onto Joan, who is trying to locate a woman who has been missing for five years, and the only clue is the smell of nutmeg at the site of her disappearance.

• End Of Watch: Holmes and Watson join forces with the NYPD after a police officer is murdered. Also, Sherlock searches for the creator of a “recovery blog” who is posting personal statements he has made in sobriety meetings.

• The Eternity Injection: When a nurse Watson used to work with asks for her help finding their missing acquaintance, the woman’s trail leads Watson and Holmes to another person who has disappeared.

• Seed Money: While Kitty tries to find a runaway teen, Sherlock and Joan work a case in which the murder of a brilliant bioengineer looks to be at the hands of a drug cartel.

• The Illustrious Client: In the first episode of a two-part event, Watson begins her new job as an in-house investigator for an insurance firm. 

• The One That Got Away: As Kitty begins to unravel due to the imminent threat to her safety, Sherlock and Joan intensify their efforts to help her.

• Hemlock: When a debt collector is murdered, Holmes and Watson attempt to narrow down a suspect pool of thousands of consumers who owed the man money.

• The Female Of The Species: An unexpected event brings Watson into contact again with Elana March, the crime boss she brought to justice. 

• When Your Number’s Up: Holmes and Watson follow a blood trail into the world of wrongful death compensation when they investigate a series of murders in which the killer leaves envelopes of cash on the victims. 

• For All You Know: When Holmes is implicated in the murder of a woman who was killed during the height of his addiction, he investigates himself to find their connection.

• T-Bone And The Iceman: Holmes and Watson investigate a murder that initially looks like a road rage incident, but takes a new direction when they learn the victim was flash-frozen at the time of death.

• The View From Olympus: When a driver for a ridesharing company is intentionally run over by a city cab, Holmes and Watson wonder if it’s a case of professional jealousy. Anastasia Griffith guest stars.

• One Watson, One Holmes: Holmes and Watson find themselves in the middle of a civil war being fought on the Internet when a member of Everyone, the anonymous hacker group they periodically work with, is murdered.

• A Stitch In Time: Holmes and Watson investigate the murder of a professional skeptic, a man who debunked paranormal, religious and scientific phenomenon for a living.

• Under My Skin: When two New York City paramedics are killed during a kidnapping, Holmes and Watson join the manhunt to find the murderer and the woman he abducted. 

• The Best Way Out Is Always Through: When a judge is murdered, Holmes and Watson become involved in the interstate search to find the prime suspect, an escaped convict from a privatized prison.

• Absconded: Holmes and Watson look into the death of a member of Holmes’ online beekeeping community who was a researcher looking into a deadly Northeast honey bee outbreak. 

• A Controlled Descent: When Holmes’ former recovery sponsor and friend, Alfredo, disappears, Holmes and Watson retrace his steps as Captain Gregson and Detective Bell lend NYPD’s resources to help find him.

British Noir: Five Film Collection

Kino Lorber / Released 8/25/15

While the film noir movement may seem like a distinctly American phenomenon, British studios embarked on their own shadowy thrillers, laced with postwar cynicism. This five-DVD collection assembles some of the lesser-known Brit noir titles from the Rank Studios, featuring such major talents as actors James Mason, Trevor Howard, and John Mills; and directors Ronald Neame and Roy Ward Baker.

Set includes:

• They Met In The Dark (1943): Discharged for treason, a former Navy Commander (James Mason) sets out to expose the espionage ring that destroyed his career – Directed by Carl Lamac.

• The October Man (1947): After a traumatic brain injury, a young engineer (John Mills) tries to repair his life. But his recovery is thwarted when a woman (Kay Walsh) is found strangled-and he becomes the prime suspect – Directed by Roy Ward Baker.

• Showbound (1948): A British Army vet (Dennis Price) exposes a plot by ex-Nazis to reclaim a stash of gold bullion hidden at a ski resort. This edition was derived from a master suffering from moderate deterioration and is presented in a less-than-ideal condition – the stellar cast included Robert Newton, Herbert Lom and Stanley Holloway – Directed by David MacDonald.

• The Golden Salamander (1950): A British archaeologist (Trevor Howard) finds himself caught between a gang of North African gun-runners and the woman he loves (Anouk Aimée) – the top-notch cast included Herbert Lom and Wilfrid-Hyde White – Directed by Ronald Neame.

• The Assassin (aka Venetian Bird) (1952): A private eye (Richard Todd) arrives in Venice in search of a fugitive, but soon discovers that the city’s winding waterways hold dark secrets – Directed by Ralph Thomas.

Animals

Oscilloscope Laboratories/ Released 8/25/15

The story of a young couple that exist somewhere between homelessness and the fantasy life they imagine for themselves. Though they masterfully con and steal in an attempt to stay one step ahead of their addiction, they are ultimately forced to face the reality of their situation. Extras include deleted scenes and behind the scenes featurette.