That Time of The Week: DVD & Blu-ray Releases From 9/29/15 & 10/6/15!

To borrow a phrase from one of favorite elder statesmen, “Face Front, True Believers!”

Welcome to the latest round up of DVD and Blu-ray titles now available! And this one has it all!

TV Shows!  Super Heroes!  Horror!  Drama!  Comedy!  Sequels!  Westerns!  Thrillers! Animation! Plus, Pee-wee Herman!

Fire up those queues and clear out that shopping cart, it’s That Time of The Week!

Excelsior! 

Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron

Disney / Buena Vista / Released 10/2/15

Good intentions wreak havoc when Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) unwittingly creates Ultron (James Spader), a terrifying A.I. monster who vows to achieve “world peace” via mass extinction. Now Iron Man, Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and The Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) – alongside Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) – must reassemble to defeat Ultron and save mankind…if they can! Featuring the introduction of The Vision (Paul Bettany), Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) and Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor Johnson). Extras include making of, commentary, gag reel, deleted and extended scenes, and featurettes.

Last Word: What Marvel has done is created a tightly knit, beautifully designed and entertaining series of films whose characters I care about and who’s stories are engaging and emotional. Avengers: Age of Ultron is no exception.

The eagerly awaited sequel to the 2012 Marvel’s Avengers film is about as good a film as you would come to expect from The House of Ideas. Boston’s own, Kevin Feige, the mastermind behind the Marvel Cinematic Universe and co-producer on every Marvel film made since 2000 has a plan and he is sticking to it.

It is a damn good plan.The films he has had a hand in molding with an insanely talented list of creators and actors has become some of the most talked about films in both the pop-culture and non-pop-culture worlds.  For those of you playing catch up, starting with the release of 2008’s Iron Man through 2019’s Avengers: Infinity War Parts 1 & 2 there has been and will be a continuous storyline carrying though 22 films and, as for now, 2 TV shows, (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter, respectively). Age of Ultron follows in the wake of the first film and subsequently in the wake of the events in Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

The film opens with Earth’s Mightiest Heroes still dealing with the repercussions of the collapse of S.H.I.E.L.D following the deceit of Hydra, the secret criminal organization run by the mastermind, Red Skull. This film comes out swinging and only gives you enough time to quickly breathe so you don’t pass out in your seat. Joss Whedon, writer and director of the first Avengers, returns to helm and write this film and he is on top of his game here.

Whedon, for me is very hit or miss and his work can have that initial WHAM! POW! BANG! but lack a lot of sustainability utter multiple viewings and any type of scrutiny. Here he brings his A+++ game and does what he is known to do best: Take a varied and entangled cast of characters, make them lovable, make them vulnerable and make them, what Marvel is best known for, human.

These are heroes. They are flawed and not perfect but in the end that is what makes them great. because they don’t give up. They go where even THEY fear to tread and when one falters, the others have their backs. This films greatest success is in it’s handling of the material. Where most writers and directors might get bogged down with making sure each character has their “15 minutes” of screen time, sacrificing story for face time, and with the names that they have in this film, you would think that would be the first order of business. I like to call it the “Next Generation syndrome” where it seemed like every actor on Star Trek: The Next Generation was contractually obligated to have equal amount of screen time regardless of whether the story called for it or not, in my mind, ruining an otherwise good film. Here, what is more important to Whedon and cast and crew is getting the best story told; making sure that each character is properly represented regardless of how much they are actually on the screen.

The main story follows the creation of the artificial intelligence Ultron, who’s purpose is to be the last line of defense in the protection of man, should The Avengers fail in their mission to protect the Earth. And much like the hubris that created it, Ultron falls victim to the “Pride that Blinds” and loses sight of why he was created and begins to see the creator as the very thing it needs to destroy.  Faced with the very thing they had hoped would help them, now as their enemy, it is up to the Avengers to once again unite and overcome their fears and doubts to save the world.  Old friends and allies join the battle and the film becomes one of the best nerdgasm inducing, no-holds barred films I have seen in a very long time. Fans of the Marvel universe so far will be pleased with the return of a ton of fan-favorite characters and will be overjoyed with all the “Easter Eggs” nestled throughout.

Non-comic fans, if there are still any out there, will be blown away and kept at the edge of their seat, as the old parlance goes, with the great action and spectacle. Where it falters is so minimal that it really isn’t worth mentioning and it definitely does NOT ruin or take away from the over-all enjoyment of the film as a whole.  The introduction and use of the ‘Miracle’ twins Wanda and Pietro aka Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver, played by Elizabeth Olsen and Aaron Taylor-Johnson respectively, are a going to thrill the fans. The Vison and how he comes about is great. And The Blacklist star, James Spader as Ultron, is perfectly menacing and condescending in its revile of those whom it is created to protect.

I was thoroughly entertained and would put it on par with the first Avengers in terms of story and characters and definitely much larger and exciting in terms of scope. Avengers: Age of Ultron is another great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  Make Mine Marvel! (– Benn Robbins)

Magic Mike XXL

Warner Bros. / Released 10/6/15

Three years after he bowed out of the stripper life at the top of his game, Mike (Channing Tatum) finds the remaining Kings of Tampa likewise ready to throw in the towel. But they want to do it their way: burning down the house in one last blowout performance in Myrtle Beach, and with Magic Mike, the legendary headliner, sharing the spotlight with them. On the road to their final show, with whistle stops in Jacksonville and Savannah to renew old acquaintances and make new friends, Mike and the guys learn some new moves and shake off the past in surprising ways. Extras include featurettes and extended dance scene.

Last Word: Matthew McConaughey’s Dallas, the elder statesman of the insanity of the first Magic Mike is absent in this adventure and it quickly becomes apparent that without a leader, you just have a bunch of homoerotically charged man-children taking off their clothes and partying non-stop.  Tatum’s Mike, who reached his dream as a furniture maker, for some reason feels compelled to rejoin his former brothers in glitter for a final show.  Reprising their roles are Matt Bomer, Joe Manganiello, Kevin Nash, Adam Rodriguez and Gabriel Iglesias and joining the cast is a Love Boat worthy guest cast which includes Amber Heard, Donald Glover, Andie MacDowell, Elizabeth Banks, Jada Pinkett Smith and Michael Strahan.  It’s not a bad film per se, but my tolerence for watching stupid people isn’t what it used to be and most of the characters in Magic Mike XXL have an IQ that matches their body fat percentage.  I think it’s fair to assess Magic Mike as an underrated sleeper and Magic Mike XXL as more of a guilty pleasure.  It’s Showgirls with men; and let’s hope it’s not the second chapter of a trilogy.

Spy

20th Century Fox / 9/29/15

Deskbound CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) is about to become the world’s newest – and unlikeliest – secret weapon. When her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, Susan volunteers to go deep undercover and bring down a deadly arms dealer. Extras include deleted and alternate scenes, gag reel, outtakes, featurettes and commentary.

Last Word: Melissa McCarthy’s latest movie Spy is a treat. Director Paul Feig graduated McCarthy from supporting player in 2011’s Bridesmaids, to co-star in 2013’s The Heat and now, badass leading lady in Spy.  The comedic sendup of the classic James Bond formula goes back at least as far as the original 1967 Casino Royale and Get Smart but also was reinvented in the ‘90s by Mike Myers in Austin Powers. Gadgets, plane fights, prat falls and cat-lady sweaters are what populates Spy.

Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is a CIA Agent, working as an assistant to field agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law). She witnesses Fine’s brutal murder via a very unrealistic ‘contact lens camera’ as she’s guiding him through his final mission. When the CIA is made aware of a possible leak, the only thing left to do is send someone after his murderer Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne). Hothead agent Rick Ford played by Jason Statham is a braggart and bumbling parody of the usual roles the actor plays.  Ford goes rogue when the agency picks the unassuming analyst Susan Cooper to go out into the field to Paris to gather intel on that “Thundercunt” Rayna, her bosses and a nuclear bomb!

McCarthy’s boss Elaine Crocker (Allison Janney, uncredited) sends Agent Cooper out with a series of more hilarious than the last identities, the first being a mother of four from the Midwest with a Christmas sweater.  On the plus side, Cooper is sent to the munitions garage to see Patrick (Michael McDonald – aka a Red Shirt in every Austin Powers movie!), only to be handed some cool spy gear in rather unassuming packages. We’re not talking a spy-pen. What we are talking about is poison antidote disguised as stool softener and a toe fungus spray that’s actually mace. This is one of the funnest tropes in any spy movie, and Feig and the writers did it right. It was more about what she didn’t get what she wanted but other spies have access to that cranked up the hilarity.

When Cooper arrives in Paris at an unkempt hotel, she finds Ford there, waiting in the dark á la Nick Fury in Captain America: Winter Soldier. Ford is disobeying orders and circumventing CIA protocol as he has no faith in her carrying out the mission. Spoiler warning, the two don’t take to long to team up and save the day. Just when you think that this is a straight comedy, we’re put in the middle of a bomb threat at an outdoor concert with Ford and Cooper eliminate the threat. This sparks one of the best fight scenes in the film with Cooper and the bomber facing off at the edge of a building. Let’s just say that you have every reason to fear the awesome power of rebar.

Rome is the next destination, and Cooper tires quickly of the disguises she’s given, this time, crazy cat lady! She treats herself to a cocktail dress and heads after her next target, Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale) in a casino. Ford shows up again in his Bond tux, working the same angle, though unofficially. Silicon Valley actor Zach Woods makes a cameo that ends up uniting Cooper with her original target Rayna —all while retaining her cover. Rayna and Cooper have a dinner scene that rivals the Kristen Wiig maid of honor microphone passing speech in Bridesmaids (or the Jordan Almonds showdown!). Watching Byrne’s air of superiority match McCarthy’s home-grown real-person defenses is awesome and some of the best laughs in the film.

After dinner, and Rayna gaining Cooper’s trust — they head out on Rayna’s private jet. What starts as a cocktail hour ends up with a bloody confrontation with the crew. McCarthy not only shines with hilarious dialogue, she holds her own as a fighter in this movie. They give her (or her double, I should say) many Matrix-esque kick flips and figure eights. I really liked that about the movie — and that there weren’t any cheap fat jokes.  The kitchen fight scene McCarthy gets to do rivals only Quicksilver in X-Men: Days of Future Past (you know, but this time without time slowing down). Butcher knives are flying, good old konks on on the head with skillets. What more could you want? Maybe a Three Stooges eye poke would have been going too far, and they exercised restraint in that regard.

Another fine actor we haven’t mentioned in this film is Miranda Hart, playing the desk agent and best friend to Cooper as Nancy B. Artingstall. When Nancy is brought into the field, she is definitely out of her element. Nancy is the kind of best bud sidekick you need as a tool for exposition. Nancy is the one monitoring Cooper’s (still ridiculous) contact lens cam.  In the final act of the film, there is also some helicopter action to balance out the plane fight. Helicopters always make me think of Bond films so this is thematically on point.  De Luca and Rayna are exposed while the CIA team reassembles.  Spy is a great and fun movie. Treat yourself to the credits and let your imagination go wild on possible future missions for the team, as well as a surprising post-credit scene. (– Clay N Ferno)

Outlander: Season One – Volume Two: Collector’s Edition

Sony / Released 9/29/15

Outlander spans the genres of romance, science fiction, history and adventure as it follows Claire Randall, a married WWII combat nurse who mistakenly falls back in time to 1743. As the season continues, Claire and Jamie’s relationship is tested and Claire must reconcile her modern mindset with this 18th century world. Ruthless redcoats, volatile clan politics and a brutal witch trial force Jamie and Claire to escape to a new home. Just when their life as a married couple begins to take shape, Jamie is once again drawn into Captain Randall’s darkness. Ultimately, Claire discovers there is a fate worse than death as she struggles to save Jamie’s heart, as well as his soul. Extras include featurettes, extended episode, podcasts, gag reel, table read, deleted scenes with introductions by Ronald D. Moore.

Includes episodes:

• The Reckoning: Claire’s rescue by Jamie puts the whole clan in danger, the fact of which she is made brutally aware. Colum, unhappy with the trip’s results, confronts Dougal, and Jamie weighs the merits of staying at the castle.

• By the Pricking of My Thumbs: With the arrival of the Duke of Sandringham, Jamie hopes the price on his head will be lifted, while Claire cares for an abandoned child.

• The Devil’s Mark: As Claire and Geillis are put on trial for witchcraft, Jamie is able to rescue Claire, who has unearthed a secret from Geillis’ past.

• Lallybroch: Claire and Jamie are reunited and head to his family home, where old animosities between Jamie and his sister, Jenny, are rekindled.

• The Watch: Whilst Jamie has been gone, sister Jenny and her husband Ian have been paying a gang of ex-militia/highwaymen protection money, food and good tobacco to keep them from the jaws of the Red Coats. Tension is high as Jamie has to assume a ‘cousin’ of the family so as to hide the fact that he has a price on his head. Unfortunately, someone they have come across recently connects up with the gang – and he knows Jaime and his secret. This rogue has a plan for the gang to rob a rent packet but he also blackmails Jaime to keep his secret – or has he spilled the tale already. Jenny and Claire are busy bringing the latest Fraser into the world – a breech birth.

• The Search: Claire and Jenny head off to save Jamie from the redcoat captors and meet up with Murtagh, who joins them. The trio employ unusual tactics to get word to Jamie.
• Wentworth Prison: At Wentworth Prison, Jamie’s execution day approaches, while Claire and the Highlanders contemplate a rescue plan. Later, Jamie receives an unsettling visit from Black Jack.

• To Ransom a Man’s Soul: In the Season 1 finale, a risky escape attempt is engineered to free Jamie, and he’s taken to a nearby monastery, where Claire attempts to nurse him back to health, both his mind and body.

Entourage

Warner Bros. / Released 9/29/15

Movie star Vincent Chase, together with his boys, Eric, Turtle and Johnny, are back…and back in business with super agent-turned-studio head Ari Gold. Some of their ambitions have changed, but the bond between them remains strong as they navigate the capricious and often cutthroat world of Hollywood. Show creator Doug Ellin, who writes and directs, reunites with the original cast as the award-winning hit HBO series hits the big screen. Extras include gag reel, deleted scenes, and featurettes.

Last Word: This is an odd film to review because the experience is so split depending on whether or not you’ve seen the show. I have. In fact, I’ve watched the series through five different times. I’m a huge fan of the show. I’ve been waiting four years for the film, much like thousands of other fans. So I’m a bit biased when looking deeper into the film than, say, my friend who had never seen a minute of the show.

For those who haven’t seen the show, Entourage is the story of actor-turned-blockbuster-superstar Vincent Chase and his small posse of close friends: his oldest friend and eventual-manager E, childhood friend and driver Turtle, and his slightly washed-up has-been TV actor half brother Johnny “Drama” Chase. Along with Vince’s agent Ari Gold, played incredibly by Jeremy Piven, the entourage experiences the glitz, the glamour, the girls, and the drama of making it big in Hollywood. That really is all there is to the plot of the show. This isn’t a heavy-handed, emotional dramatic piece of narrative fiction. As Vince’s career grows and grows, the stakes do the same, but in the end it always works out, and then the next major hardship shows up, rinse, and repeat. It’s very safe, but that adds to the appeal of the show, at least for me. A very common connection made is to HBO’s other entourage show, Sex in the City. Both are very similar and both are enjoyable.

Entourage the TV series went for eight seasons, and the show saw plenty of rising and falling in quality throughout those seasons, with the final season being one of the worst. I think it’s all great, but Vince’s fall from grace in season seven is the low-point. Entourage the film can essentially be described as a ninth season condensed into two hours. Is that a bad thing? That depends. There are so many varying factors that could effect whether one would enjoy this film. For example, the friend I brought enjoyed the film, despite not knowing the back story, so it apparently can be a good stand-alone film. The glaring fact with Entourage is this whole back story that simply isn’t included or explained at all. To the blind moviegoer, that may be fine. You don’t miss what you don’t know.

For the veteran like me, everything flows naturally because I’m aware of the characters’ personality traits, I’m familiar with one character’s relationship to another, and I’m aware of the significance of a film mentioned within the film. It’s a whole realm of experience that is only realized when you’ve seen the show, so I can’t fathom how people say it’s not needed before seeing the film. On one hand, you can certainly experience the plot of the film as a separate entity from the show and enjoy it that way, but how can you not be confused when certain characters are introduced without being explained? Several sweeping tracking shots overhead reveal characters I immediately recognize but go mostly unnoticed, so does the blind moviegoer just continue oblivious until the credits? Entourage completely neglects to introduce almost every character to anybody who may have missed the show. Is that a bad thing, or can it be considered a film “only for the fans of the show?” On one hand I want to recommend it to anybody who hasn’t seen the show, but on the other hand I have no idea how easy it is to follow the show knowing no back story.

Entourage absolutely oozes with callbacks and references to the show. The entire existence of the film itself, with the lack of exposition, is one big reference to the show. Characters are who they are, act like they act, say what they say, and make the choices they do all based on the show, so I can only imagine a blind moviegoer scratching their head wondering why Ari Gold is so damn cold and mean towards Lloyd during the whole thing. That’s just how Ari is, and while he doesn’t agree with Lloyd’s lifestyle, they’ve been through a lot and have both grown and shaped each other through each other. None of that is in the film, so it’s just Ari Gold being cold and resentful toward Lloyd until the credits roll (but not after they roll). Can we chalk that up to bad storytelling, or is it just a “sorry moviegoer, you should’ve seen the show?” Is any of this lack of exposition the fault of the writer/director, or is it simply not necessary in the end? It’s a halfway decent question that will haunt me for the next few weeks.

Anyway, the film has some actual film-making problems that both audiences can be involved in. As previously mentioned, the film is more or less an entire season story arc crammed into two hours. Vincent Chase wants to direct and star in Ari Gold’s first big-budget film as studio head (he was an agent before, but that’s hardly mentioned, unless you already have seen the show), but when he goes over budget while making it, the rich co-financiers Larson McCredle and his son Travis (played by Billy Bob Thornton and Haley Joel Osment, respectively) threaten to alter the film in disastrous ways to protect their money, putting Ari’s and Vince’s careers in jeopardy. It’s a story that would fit very well as an overall season story arc, but when you take that and add in several small side arcs involving the rest of the entourage, it all starts to feel cramped. Very cramped. The TV show has always been known for its celebrity cameos, so take that formula, amplify it thrice for the film, add that to the story, and it starts to get ridiculous to try to fit this all in a two hour span. A lot is sacrificed to do so. Keeping this spoiler free, the last 15 minutes of the film are the biggest offenders by far, with everything coming to a close so fast it blows you back in your seat. Side stories are left completely open or forgotten altogether and the cameos are so packed in some are only on screen for a few seconds before moving onto the next one. Sure, it’s the spirit of the show, but it gets jarring near the end. It makes you question what the point is of including some of them when they add nothing to story at all. The film sits at around two hours even, but for a veteran like me, after waiting four years for this film, it could use an extra hour and a half to properly let the story breathe and be told correctly. Or make the story an actual season nine and it’ll fit right into the flow of the show. The pacing is just all wrong, and it forces back-stories and exposition to be ignored, conflicts to be cut short, and potential to be cut off right when reaching its peak. Writer/director Doug Ellin has stated he wants to make a trilogy out of this story, given that the film makes the right money, so it’s hard to tell whether or not these faults are the act of a TV director stumbling through film or if it’s all intentional, should a sequel be made.

Can Entourage, as a film, be recommended? As a running theme in this review, it depends on whether or not you’ve seen the show, I think. On its own, it’s the story of a blockbuster film star’s directorial debut and the complications that come with it, albeit horribly rushed. It’s a great way to be dropped into a fast-paced and stressful world filled with enough celebrities to make your head spin. As a continuation of the Entourage TV show, it’s like walking into that college party and seeing all your good friends after four years. Things have changed, but the spirit is still alive, and you can pick right up back where you left off. Is one experience better than the other? Does it matter? Good question. (– Steve Carley)

Poltergeist

Lionsgate / Released 9/29/15

From legendary filmmaker Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, The Evil Dead) and director Gil Kenan (Monster House) comes this “thrilling” (Justin Lowe, “The Hollywood Reporter”) film starring Sam Rockwell and Rosemarie DeWitt. After the Bowen family moves into a seemingly perfect suburban home, sinister spirits begin to haunt them. And when the terrifying apparitions abduct Maddy, their youngest daughter (Kennedi Clements), the Bowens must find a way to rescue her – or they’ll lose her forever. With suspenseful storytelling and jaw-dropping visuals, this electrifying take on a spine-chilling classic will haunt you from its early nightmarish moments to its exhilarating climax. Extras include two versions of the film, alternate ending and still gallery.

Last Word:  Why.  Why?  A remake that not only adds nothing to the original film’s mythology, but also does it with little energy or enthusiasm?  Welcome to Poltergeist 2015.  Neither thrilling or shocking or scary, Poltergeist just goes through the motions, which is unfortunate because the original (and two lesser sequels) had some serious potential for a smart, suspenseful reimagining.  The cast all delivers satisfactory performances, but there’s nothing memorable other than the clown sequence which was more terrifying the first time since the clown doll didn’t look like it was purchased from a Toys R’ Us in Hell.    Poltergeist is uninspired and dull. 

The Bear: 25th Anniversary Collector’s Edition

Shout! Factory / Released 9/29/15

The Bear is a sheer triumph of cinema in the wild! Notable for its stunning cinematography, minimal dialogue, and outstanding animal performances, director Jean-Jacques Annaud’s (Quest For Fire, The Name of the Rose) astonishing tale of wilderness survival has thrilled and charmed audiences and critics all over the world.

Set in 19th-century British Columbia, The Bear follows the story of a young cub and an adult grizzly as they join forces to survive the perils inherent in their mountain habitat. With each passing obstacle, the two bears further develop a friendship that can only make them stronger – but will it be enough for them to overcome their most deadly enemy?

An adventure story with heart and humanity, The Bear remains a breathtaking and powerful experience decades after its original release. Extras include making of.

The Duke Of Burgundy 

Shout! Factory / Released 9/29/15

Sex, bondage, and butterflies: two women explore the extremes of carnal desire in this kinky, deliciously twisted tale of erotic obsession. In a crumbling European estate, butterfly researcher Cynthia (Sidse Babett Knudsen, Borgen, After The Wedding) and her lover Evelyn (Chiara D’Anna, Berberian Sound Studio) repeatedly enact a sadomasochistic role-playing game, with Cynthia as the stern mistress and Evelyn her subservient slave. But as the lines between fantasy and reality begin to blur, and Cynthia grows increasingly uneasy with Evelyn’s insatiable appetite for punishment, their relationship is pushed to the limit. Dripping with dreamlike imagery, Gothic atmosphere, and a lush chamber pop score by Cat’s Eyes, this critically-acclaimed, darkly comic erotic fantasia is a seductive feast for the senses. Extras include commentary, interview, short film Conduct Phase, deleted scenes, promo, trailer and still gallery.

Black Coal, Thin Ice

Well Go USA / Released 9/29/15

An ex cop and his ex partner decide to follow up on investigation of a series of murders that ended their careers and shamed them, when identical murders begin again.

Zipper

Alchemy / Released 9/29/15

Sam Ellis is a man on the rise —a hot-spot prosecutor on the cusp of a bright future. When a impossibly gorgeous intern at the office becomes infatuated with him, Sam unwisely attempts to quiet his desires by seeing a high class escort —only to discover that the experience is more fulfilling and exhilarating than he could have imagined. A second appointment with an escort soon follows, and a third, sending his once idyllic life spiraling out of control. In the midst of wrestling with his demons, he suddenly finds himself being groomed to run for U.S. congress —thrusting him into the public spotlight, and forcing him to take increasingly dangerous measures to keep the press, the law and his wife off his trail. Zipper is directed by Mora Stephens with Patrick Wilson leading an outstanding cast, which features Lena Headey, Dianna Agron, Richard Dreyfuss, John Cho, and Ray Winstone.

Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot

Magnolia / Released 9/29/15

Thirteen time All-Star, League MVP, Finals MVP, NBA Superstar Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest and most famous athletes of all time. Follow his rise to NBA champion under the tutelage of his longtime coach and mentor, Holger Geschwindner, whose unconventional methods and reliance on physics turned the 7-footer into the greatest shooting big man in NBA history, in this riveting documentary. The Perfect Shot was produced by International Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Leopold Hoesch and features exclusive NBA footage and interviews with NBA legends such as Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Michael Finley, Jason Kidd, Rick Carlisle, Mark Cuban, David Stern, Don Nelson and former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Extras include deleted scenes, interview and trailer.

Unexpected

Alchemy / Released 9/29/15

Samantha (Cobie Smulders) is a high school science teacher at a low-income school about to close, and she has just found out she’s pregnant. Though her boyfriend, John (Anders Holm), proposes and is thrilled to begin a new life together, Sam struggles with the idea of halting her career to be a full time mother. Simultaneously, one of Sam’s brightest students, Jasmine (Gail Bean), has also become pregnant. Sam makes it her mission to get Jasmine into college and bonds with her over their impending motherhood. Unbeknownst to Sam, Jasmine is wiser than she gives her credit for, and when things don’t go exactly according to Sam’s plan, she must reexamine what is best for herself and for the people she loves.

iZombie: Season 1

Warner Home Video / Released 9/29/15

How many people can say that satisfying their munchies helps solve murders? Meet Olivia “Liv” Moore, a medical resident on the fast track to a perfect life… until she’s turned into a zombie. Stuck between half-alive and undead, Liv transfers to Seattle’s morgue to access the only thing that allows her to maintain her humanity – human brains. But there are side effects to Liv’s new diet: flashes of the corpse’s memories – including clues as to how they were killed. Liv works with an eccentric Medical Examiner and a rookie detective to help solve the murders… it’s the least a good citizen zombie can do! Based on characters published by DC Entertainment’s Vertigo imprint from the brains behind Veronica Mars, iZombie delivers crime-fighting zombie adventures in all 13 Season One episodes. Extras include deleted scenes and SDCC panel.

Includes the episodes:

• Pilot: Liv is your ordinary everyday over-achieving medical resident. Until the party where she’s scratched by a zombie and becomes one herself. Now she works in a morgue and refuses to be around her friends and family for fear that she might eat their brains. However, Liv discovers that she can read the memories of the brains that she eats, and sets out to help rookie police detective Clive Babinaux solve a call girl’s murder with the help of her understanding boss, Ravi Chakrabarti.

• Brother, Can You Spare a Brain?: When a painter is murdered, Liv helps investigate his death and acquires his passion for life. Meanwhile, Blaine visits the morgue and asks for help.

• The Exterminator: Liv and Ravi’s newest corpse is a bug exterminator who turns out to be a hit man. His memories provide Liv with the information she needs to clear an innocent man and track down the guilty party, but she worries that the man’s lack of emotions may be harmful. Meanwhile, Marcy turns up and Major asks Clive for help.

• Liv and Let Clive: Clive discovers a John Doe in the morgue is one of his former criminal contacts from his days working on the vice squad, but he refuses Liv’s help to solve the murder. Liv and Ravi investigate on their own, which puts them in a precarious situation. Meanwhile, Major searches for a roommate, and Liv thinks he is considering a cute co-ed.

• Flight of the Living Dead: Liv’s former sorority sister dies in a skydiving accident, but Liv soon realizes that it’s murder. As she and Clive investigate the case, Major asks Clive to help him find the missing Jerome.

• Virtual Reality Bites: Liv and Ravi investigate a shut-in Internet troll who died in his basement. Meanwhile, Major continues his search for the Candyman, and Blaie is forced to cut off a customer with extreme prejudice.

• Maternity Liv: A missing pregnant girl reappears after eight months, and dies of exposure. The doctors save her child, and Liv takes on a strong maternal instinct after eating the girls’ brains. Meanwhile, Major follows Julien and learns about his interest in brains.

• Dead Air: The newest victim is a morning radio talk show host, and Liv picks up her annoying tendencies when she eats the woman’s brain to solve the murder. Meanwhile, Major is more determined than ever to find out what Julien is hiding, and Ravi decides to ask Peyton out on a date.

• Patriot Brains: Liv confronts Lowell about his involvement with Blaine’s brain-selling operation. Meanwhile, she and Clive investigate the death of a former sniper, and Liv gets the man’s combat skills… and decides to eliminate Blaine for good. Meanwhile, Major follows a new lead on Julien.

• Mr. Berserk: Rebecca Hinton, the reporter that Major helped, turns up dead. Liv eats her brain to find out who killed her Rebecca and inherits her alcoholism, while trying to cope with Lowell’s death. Meanwhile, Clive advises Major to get help.

• Astroburger: Liv eats the brain of a mental patient to find out how he died, and suffers from the same paranoid delusions. Meanwhile, Major tracks Blaine and Julien to Meat Cute, and Ravi and Peyton have their first date.

• Dead Rat, Live Rat, Brown Rat, White Rat: Liv eats the brain of a dead cheerleader to identify her killer. Meanwhile, Major prepares for his war on zombies, and Ravi and Peyton plan a trip to San Francisco.

• Blaine’s World: Ravi comes up with a cure for the zombie plague, but warns Liv that it’s in short supply. Meanwhile, Major refuses to tell Blaine where the stolen astronaut brains are, and Clive tries to locate Teresa’s killer.

Bones: Season Ten – Blackmail & Jain Edition

20th Century Fox / Released 9/29/2015

In the 10th Season of Bones, suspense is at an all-time high as Booth (David Boreanaz) is framed and jailed for the murder of three FBI agents while Bones (Emily Deschanel) considers committing blackmail to get him out of prison. Meanwhile, the team at the Jeffersonian sets out to solve a whole new roster of bizarre cases – the deaths of a controversial radio host, a mysterious crossword puzzler, and many more. This season is filled with highs and lows including the death of a beloved team member and a newborn named after Booth. The Complete Season DVD set has all 22 Season 10 episodes featuring favorite guest stars like Ryan O’Neal and Cyndi Lauper, as well as an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the landmark, noir-inspired 200th episode. Extras include featurettes, deleted scenes and gag reel.

Episodes include:

• The Conspiracy in the Corpse: The team tries everything to get Booth out of jail and find the person who set him up. But it may put one of them in danger.
  

• The Lance to the Heart: Special Agent Aubrey helps the team with their quest to dig into a government conspiracy that goes back decades and find out who framed Booth for murder, but the case takes a surprising turn with the discovery of DNA evidence that’s linked to the scandal.

• The Purging of the Pundit: The remains of a right-wing radio host are found in a storm drain, and the investigation reveals some surprising extracurricular activities that narrow the search for suspects. Meanwhile, Agent Aubrey tries to get Booth to trust him, and Brennan worries about her husband’s state of mind.

• The Geek in the Guck: The team investigates after a body is found in a river. The wealthy games designer who was prone to manipulating friends, greatly increases the suspect pool that must be cleared. Elsewhere, Brennan and Booth plan for Christine’s future.

• The Corpse at the Convention: Brennan gives a keynote speech at a convention for forensic scientists, who are all eager to help when the remains of a body are discovered in a stairwell, but the Jeffersonian team are stunned when Hodgins becomes a murder suspect. Meanwhile, Brennan has an encounter with a rival; and Wendell returns to work with an update on his health.

• The Lost Love in the Foreign Land: A maid is murdered and her remains are found by the side of the road, and her wealthy former employer is a suspect, but the investigation takes a surprising turn when the team discover the deceased may have entered the U.S. illegally. Meanwhile, Arastoo prepares his dissertation for Brennan’s approval, which coincides with talk of marriage between Cam and Arastoo.

• The Money Maker on the Merry-Go-Round: A hedge-fund trader’s remains are found under a merry-go-round, and the victim’s boss emerges as the prime suspect, but Aubrey is troubled by an emotional connection to the case. Meanwhile, Christine curses for the first time, and Brennan and Booth don’t agree on what to do about it.

• The Puzzler in the Pit: A crossword-puzzle master’s remains are found in an urban fracking site, but the search for the killer among his rivals reveals the deceased was suffering from a mental illness at the time of his death. Meanwhile, a pregnant Daisy gets a boost from her doula in her time of need.

• The Mutilation of the Master Manipulator: The investigation of the murder of a college psychology professor reveals some controversial social experiments on his grad students, which lead to a long list of suspects. Meanwhile, Booth is shackled by online traffic school; and Wendell deals with his feelings about a nurse who’s involved with his chemotherapy treatments.

• The 200th in the 10th: The show’s 200th episode is an homage to Alfred Hitchcock’s films that takes place in 1950s Hollywood, where LAPD detective Brennan teams up with jewel thief Booth when the latter is framed for the murder of a wealthy socialite. Directed by series star David Boreanaz.

• The Psychic in the Soup: A body in a tree sends the team into the world of psychics and fortune-tellers, with Avalon Harmonia along as interpreter. Meanwhile, as Sweets’ birthday approaches the team copes with his loss. Elsewhere, Christine’s imaginary friend means Booth and Brennan must agree on how to deal with her creativity.

• The Teacher in the Books: A teacher is found dead in an abandoned bookstore, and her coworkers and students are suspects. Meanwhile, “squintern” Jessica Warren teaches Brennan some tricks of the Twitter trade when her publisher encourages her to embrace social media to reach more fans.
  

• The Baker in the Bits: Brennan and Booth investigate after a former convict’s body is found in bits and pieces. As they focus on picking apart his post-prison life, they realize that his past may be the lead to the murderer. Elsewhere, Vaziri must decide whether to return to Iran for a dying relative, or stay in the US as Cam prefers.

• The Putter in the Rough: A miniature-golf star’s death reveals the sport’s highly competitive nature. Meanwhile, Brennan is afraid that her dad is dabbling in crime again; and Wendell asks Hodgins to help him fix his girlfriend’s family heirloom.

• The Eye in the Sky: A high-stakes gambler’s remains are discovered in an industrial shredder, but Booth’s history of addiction comes into play when he and Brennan investigate the world of underground poker. Meanwhile, Hodgins invents a lab-related product; and Brennan and Booth get some exciting family news.

• The Big Beef at the Royal Diner: The death of a celebrity chef is investigated by the team members, who track down clues at local restaurants. Meanwhile, Hodgins sells his new invention for millions, and Brennan helps Christine learn about bones by writing an anatomically correct song.

• The Lost in the Found: The team try to solve the murder of a teenage girl who was a student at an all girls prep school. Brennan soon starts to relate to the victim after finding out that she had been bullied. Meanwhile, Daisy starts to wonder if she’s ready to start dating again.

• The Verdict in the Victims: Brennan starts to realize that a man she put on death row may be innocent after looking over the evidence again. Now the team has exactly 48 hours to catch the real culprit before it’s too late.

• The Murder in the Middle East: Arastoo is kidnapped by a member of the Iranian parliament to help him with a murder case, so Booth and Cam head to the Middle East to expose the killer before it’s too late. Meanwhile, Brennan is concerned about Booth’s gambling habit, and asks Aubrey to protect her and Christine from her husband’s bookie.

• The Woman in the Whirlpool: A cookie-jar collector’s body is found near a river, and the killer may be a fellow kitchenware enthusiast. Meanwhile, Booth struggles to accept Brennan’s decision that he move out of their house due to his gambling addiction; and Aubrey keeps an eye on one of the “squinterns.”
  

• The Life in the Light: Booth and Brennan investigate when a yoga instructor whose past includes a stint in prison is found after a forest fire. The team must look at both parts of his life in order to track down his murderer. Elsewhere, Hodgins and Angela face a decision that might make them leave the team, and Booth tries to win back Brennan’s trust.
  

• The Next in the Last: As the team investigates a murder, evidence found in the crime scene reminds them of an old enemy. Elsewhere, Angela worries about Hodgins’ and her decision, while Booth and Brennan consider a life without the Jeffersonian.

Fresh Off the Boat: Season 1

20th Century Fox / Released 9/29/15

Twelve-year old hip-hop enthusiast Eddie Huang (Hudson Yang) and his family make their way from D.C.’s Chinatown to Orlando where his dad, Louis (Randall Park) tries to make his new steakhouse a success. His mom, Jessica (Constance Wu) aims to understand the culture clash and dominate suburbia. While his brothers fit right in, Eddie’s still tries to get a seat at the table – any table – in the school cafeteria. Bullies on the bus may get him down, but Eddie can bust a move and wield a fajita like nobody’s business! Go behind the scenes of this breakout sitcom inspired by renowned Chef Eddie Huang’s best-selling memoir. Extras include Fresh Facts trivia track and gag reel.

Includes the episodes:

• Pilot: A Western-theme restaurant is opened in the premiere of this series, in which a Taiwanese family deal with culture shock after moving from Washington, D.C., to Orlando during the ’90s.

• Home Sweet Home-School: Louis and Jessica butt heads over how to raise their kids, and about the overall good in people.

• The Shunning: When the neighbors announce a block party to celebrate NASCAR, Louis tries to take advantage of the opportunity to promote his restaurant, and Eddie tries to meet new friends.

• Success Perm: Jessica’s sister and her snooty family come to visit, and the Huangs are determined to make the house and restaurant appear as nice as possible, so they will appear successful. Eddie is excited about seeing his cousin Justin, who introduced him to hip-hop. However, Justin is now into grunge, which depresses Eddie.

• Persistent Romeo: Jessica presses Louis into a sexual-harassment seminar at the restaurant. Eddie, wanting to impress his school friends, shows them Louis’ seual harassment video, which they think is an adult movie.

• Fajita Man: Eddie wants to buy a new video game, based on Shaq, his idol. So, to save up enough money, he goes to work at his father’s restaurant.

• Showdown at the Golden Saddle: Vandals cause trouble for the Huangs. Meanwhile, Eddie tries to get the attention of a girl he likes.

• Phillip Goldstein: Louis feels betrayed when Mitch accepts a job at a rival restaurant. Eddie meets a new Chinese boy in school, who is not quite what he appears to be.

• License to Sell: Jessica feels that she can’t compete with a top-performing Realtor, so she decides to put off her license exam. Meanwhile, Eddie asks his father for help in getting Nicole to like him.

• Blind Spot: Jessica’s old boyfriend from college visits, but instead of making Louis jealous, reveals that he is gay, and thinks he had been dating Louis instead.

• Very Superstitious: Jessica is assigned her first house listing, but is afraid to go inside it because its number, 44, is a bad omen in Chinese superstition. Eddie runs for school class president, but learns not to tell lies from the experience.

• Dribbling Tiger, Bounce Pass Dragon: Forced into volunteering at the kids’ schools, Louis coaches Eddie’s Junior High basketball team, while Jessica produces Emery’s and Evan’s elementary school play.

• So Chineez: In the Season 1 finale, Jessica fears that the family has lost its Chinese identity, so she strives for them to reconnect with their culture. To that end, she insists that Louis decline an invitation to join the country club; and makes Eddie do a report on China for his World Day project.

Modern Family: The Complete Sixth Season

20th Century Fox / Released 9/29/15

The honeymoon is over, but the laughs continue in Season Six of Modern Family, winner of five consecutive Emmy Awards for Outstanding Comedy Series. As freshly hitched Cam and Mitch acclimate to the realities of wedded bliss, Phil and Claire find their marriage stressed by annoying neighbors, Thanksgiving dinner gone awry and Claire’s online snooping. Meanwhile, a spy-camera drone wreaks havoc in Jay and Gloria’s backyard and a close call on the highway leads to amusing changes in various members of the Pritchett-Dunphy clan. Extras include featurettes, making of and deleted scenes.

Episodes include:

• The Long Honeymoon: Cameron isn’t ready to conclude his honeymoon with Mitchell after their wedding. Gloria takes Jay to task over his appearance. The Dunphys must ready themselves for the return to school.

• Don’t Push: Phil, Luke, and Haley cause nothing but aggravation for Alex when they tag along on her tour of Caltech. Jay and Gloria have trouble finding the perfect gifts for their anniversary.

• The Cold: The Dunphys are down with a cold, thanks to Phil. Jay and Gloria try to help Manny deal with playing football, and Cameron doesn’t know how much playtime to give him. Mitchell debates with Lily’s new friend, Sydney.

• Marco Polo: Things become tense when the Dunphys temporarily move into a hotel, Gloria is suspicious of Manny’s new girlfriend, and Mitchell discovers that he has jinxed Cameron’s football team.

• Won’t You Be Our Neighbor: The Dunphys try to persuade the perfect couple to move in next door, Manny dates the daughter of Jay’s biggest nemesis, and Mitchell and Cameron try to get Lily a new teacher.

• Halloween 3: AwesomeLand: Phil takes over Halloween decorating duties from Claire. Jay is upset when he wants to dress up as Prince Charming but Gloria buys him a Shrek costume. Mitchell has a problem in court with the stenographer working in a scary costume.

• Queer Eyes, Full Hearts: Haley and Andy start spending a lot of time together. Gloria wants Manny to learn Spanish at school instead of French, and a reporter takes more than a passing interest in Cameron and Mitchell’s lives.

• Three Turkeys: Phil and Luke take over Thanksgiving duties but Claire readies an emergency plan. Jay and Gloria get their holiday plans interrupted and regret not telling anyone. Cameron has to think of a way to get Lily to wear a dress for dinner.

• Strangers in the Night: Jay and Gloria try to get out of parties they must attend. Mitchell’s kind gesture to a co-worker backfires on him, and Phil and Claire think Alex is lying when she tells them she found a boyfriend.

• Haley’s 21st Birthday: Haley celebrates her 21st birthday, but will anything go wrong?

• The Day We Almost Died: While driving out to get breakfast, the Dunphys including Manny have a near death experience causing everyone to reevaluate their lives. Claire resolves to be more fun and less uptight, Haley and Alex agree not to fight anymore, Manny refuses to ever ride in a car again, Luke wants to check off his bucket list, Phil decides to be a take action type of guy and the rest of the family has to bear the brunt of all the new attitudes.

• The Big Guns: The Dunphys want their neighbors to move their boat out the driveway, Jay is determined to potty train his son while Manny learns the hard way he wasn’t a special child, and Mitchell disapproves when Cam trains Lily to be Fizbo’s sidekick.

• Rash Decisions: When Phil thinks Luke is giving him the cold shoulder. Andy becomes Phil’s new right-hand man. Meanwhile, Jay may have to give Stella away because Joe is allergic to her, and Mitchell savors being the popular guy in the office.

• Valentine’s Day 4: Twisted Sister: Claire has difficulty in accepting that Phil is more interested by her alter-ego Juliana. Gloria’s sister tries to seduce Jay. Mitch and Cam have to get back a present for their friend Anders.

• Fight or Flight: A single first-class upgrade comes between Phil and Claire, Sal abandons her baby during Mitchell and Cam’s baby shower, Jay helps Manny confront a bully, and Alex and Haley help Luke break up with a girl via text message.

• Connection Lost: Claire is stuck at an airport and trying to digitally track down Haley after an argument.

• Closet? You’ll Love It!: Jay and Claire scramble to shoot a commercial in response, but there might be some creative differences between father and daughter. A peeping-Tom in the neighborhood keeps using a drone to spy on Gloria.

• Spring Break: Hayley gets Alex drunk at a concert, Phil becomes jealous of Luke’s increasing abilities, Cam gets in trouble over a song at a talent show, and Mitchell and Jay try to go behind their spouses’ backs.

• Grill, Interrupted: Jay isn’t impressed with Phil’s birthday gift, Alex isn’t excited about her acceptance to Cal Tech, Mitch and Cam get an inheritance, Andy sees Hayley for the first time since the hospital, and the boys sneak alcohol behind Gloria’s back.

• Knock ‘Em Down: Jay agrees to sub on Cam’s bowling team, not knowing it’s an all-gay league. Phil and Claire finally bond with their neighbors over an offensive statue. Gloria and Mitchell agree to a night out with Haley to prove they’re not too old.

• Integrity: Jay talks Phil into standing up to Claire, but freaks out when Phil turns the tables on him. Claire lobbies for Luke to win a school award. Mitch and Cam finally address a sensitive topic while babysitting for Joe.

• Patriot Games: Alex is not satisfied when she is named co-valedictorian, and neither is her competitor. Gloria prepares to take her citizenship exam until she finds out the real reason Jay wants her to take it. Mitch and Cam consider joining a protest.

• Crying Out Loud: Claire thinks about leaving her job with her father. Phil, Haley and Luke take Alex on her “senior ditch day”. Mitch and Cam are worried that Lily doesn’t show empathy. Gloria tries to drive a wedge between Manny and his girlfriend.

• American Skyper: As Alex finally graduates from high school, Phil uses Skype because he stuck in Seattle. Mitchell loses his job and Claire has to find the perfect gift for Alex while Andy is caught between Haley and Beth.

Deutschland 83: Season 1

Kino Lorber / Released 9/29/15

It’s 1983. The Cold War is hot. Russian 2230 Missiles in East Germany are already pointed West. American Pershing II Missiles will soon be placed in West Germany, pointing East. The threat of nuclear conflict looms. Our hero, Martin Rauch (Jonas Nay), is 24. Born and raised in East Germany, he is sent undercover, as Moritz Stamm, to West Germany, to work for a top General in the Bundeswehr. Officially, his new job is to gather intelligence on the placement of the Pershing II Missiles. A secondary gig develops, infiltrating youth culture through close relationships with the General’s two children. But nothing and no one are as they seem. Extras include interviews and cast/creator Q & A.

Episodes include:

• Quantum Jump: Spy drama set in the 1980s begins with a 24-year-old East German native going undercover in West Germany, where he enlists in their army to glean secrets concerning NATO military strategy.

• Brave Guy: Martin is ordered by Tischbier to break into the hotel room of NATO head analyst Henrik Mayer to steal a top secret security report. But he refuses Tischbier until he’s promised that his mother, Ingrid, back home in East Germany will get help with the medical treatment she needs. Martin steals the NATO report, but his superiors in East Berlin cannot read it because it’s on a floppy disk and not saved on paper. This technological hiccup highlights the struggle to keep up with the emerging era of the computer – a key example of the diverging paths of Communism and Capitalism.

• Atlantic Lion: Martin gets his first assignment while at a NATO conference in Brussels. He’s to seduce and bug the office of Linda Seiler, secretary to the head security analyst at NATO. Meanwhile, Lenora connects with Martin to tell him his mother, Ingrid, needs a kidney transplant. Martin’s fiancée, Annett, moves in with Ingrid to take care her and reveals she is pregnant with Martin’s baby.

• Northern Wedding: NATO is placed on high alert after the bug is found in Linda’s desk. Martin must do everything he can to cover his tracks. Martin rushes to turn Linda’s loyalties around while under interrogation by NATO security about their relationship. Linda runs after she figures out Martin’s true identity. Martin follows her but his East German associates are way ahead of him. Martin’s job becomes a frightening trap as he is forced to acknowledge the dark reality of the organization for which he’s working.

• Cold Fire: Martin, still reeling from Linda’s sudden death, is retrieved by Tischbier at Yvonne’s commune. As they fight, Tischbier pulls out the trump card – Ingrid will get a kidney transplant but Martin will be the donor. Martin must be in East Berlin by the afternoon. As Martin travels back, he must first deliver a package to a mysterious contact in West Berlin. When a bomb goes off at the Maison de France minutes later, Martin chases down the mysterious man and disassembles a second bomb.

• Brandy Station: For the first time since he left, Martin meets ups with Annett while recovering in the hospital from the kidney transplant for his mother. Martin wants to stay in East Germany but East Germany Secret Service Schweppenstette insists Martin return to his post. Alex Edel takes General Jackson hostage and forces him at gunpoint to film a denouncement of US military plans in Western Europe – as Lenora follows the whole thing over the wire.

• Bold Guard: Martin receives orders that pique his fear about East Germany’s paranoia, and there’s the chance that he may have to blow his own cover. Meanwhile, Tischbier takes part in a student demonstration, where he meets Alex and delivers bad news to him.

• Able Archer: In the series finale, the West continues with its nuclear war game, and Martin, unwelcome on both sides of the border, contemplates a way to keep the East from making a devastating mistake. Meanwhile, Yvonne remains in the grasp of Annett and the secret police; Ingrid tracks down Schweppenstette to save Thomas from prison; and Alex confronts his own demons.

The Slap

Acorn Media / Released 9/29/15

Whose side are you on? At a family barbecue in suburban Melbourne, a man loses his temper and slaps another guest’s unruly child. Tensions run high among family and friends when the boy’s mother presses assault charges. Based on the award-winning novel by Christos Tsiolkas, this riveting drama looks at the consequences of that one moment from eight viewpoints. Lies, secrets, and adultery come to light, and relationships are torn apart.

This critically acclaimed miniseries won the Australian Film Institute’s AACTA Awards for best miniseries, screenplay, direction, lead actor, and supporting actress. With an outstanding ensemble cast that includes Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (Hotel Rwanda), Golden Globe nominee Melissa George (In Treatment), Essie Davis (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries), and Jonathan LaPaglia (Cold Case), The Slap provokes a fascinating dialogue on the state of modern society. Extras include deleted scenes, social media clips and making of featurette.

Includes episodes:

• Hector: Family and friends gather at Hector’s house for a BBQ to celebrate his 40th birthday. But during the festivities a guest slaps a child who is not his own. No-one can see it at the time, but this single act begins to unravel the social fabric which once linked them all together.

• Anouk: In the days and weeks after the slap Anouk discovers that the incident has unleashed unexpected responses from those around her. She is torn between her friendships and her beliefs and faces decisions about her own life which threaten to overwhelm her.

• Harry: As the police become involved, Harry and Sandi begin to fear that the slap will threaten their reputation, lifestyle, and most importantly their family. Harry tries to take matters into his own hands but it’s too late.

• Connie: Things with Connie and Hector haven’t been the same since the slap. She decides to confront Hector but his reaction propels her into a decision that will have serious consequences.

• Rosie: Rosie’s outrage has been building since the slap and now finally she is given her day in court. The friends from the BBQ gather again but this time under very different circumstances. 

• Manolis: Struggling to understand the selfishness and greed of his children’s generation, Manolis watches in alarm as the slap divides his family. He calls on a special bond to try to and put things right.

• Aisha: The slap has taken a toll on Hector and Aisha’s relationship, or maybe it has just exposed the issues that were already there. They go away together to try to restore their marriage, but their holiday does not turn out as planned.

• Richie: Lies, betrayal and adultery all come to a head as people are forced to make decisions about their lives and behaviour. When Richie gets caught in the crossfire, he looks to a desperate solution.

Support Your Local Sheriff

Kino Lorber / Released 9/29/15

Armed with a wry sense of humor and a straight-shooting sidearm, James Garner (Duel at Diablo) fights for peace, justice and fun in this outrageous, irreverent and very funny farce co-starring Joan Hackett (Will Penny), Walter Brennan (Rio Bravo), Harry Morgan (TV’s M*A*S*H and Dragnet), Bruce Dern (Coming Home) and Jack Elam (Rio Lobo).

Support Your Local Sheriff is sheer entertainment from start to finish – on his way to Australia, frontier opportunist Jason McCullough (Garner) stumbles into a small gold-rush town and decides to earn a little extra pocket money by accepting a temporary assignment as their sheriff. Happily applying himself to his new position, McCullough manages to turn the town derelict (Elam) into his deputy, outsmart the dreaded Danby clan (led by Brennan), and fend off the lusty advances of the mayor’s daughter (Hackett) – all without breaking a sweat or dirtying his shiny black boots! Directed by western legend Burt Kennedy (Young Billy Young).

Support Your Local Gunfighter

Kino Lorber / Released 9/29/15

James Garner (Support Your Local Sheriff) is back in the saddle again in Support Your Local Gunfighter, a powder keg of laughs co-starring Suzanne Pleshette, Jack Elam, Harry Morgan, Joan Blondell, Marie Windsor, Henry Jones, Dub Taylor and Chuck Connors. Hustling gigolo Latigo Smith (Garner) arrives in a mining town for an operation, but while in town he overhears that the local mining baron Taylor Barton (Morgan) is looking to hire the notorious gunman, Swifty Morgan to wipeout his competition. Seizing the opportunity for an easy con, Smith passes off a reprobate cowhand, Jug (Elam) as the dreaded Swifty… with bankroll in-hand; he plans to head for the hills at first opportunity. Complicating matters are Barton’s suspicious pistol-packin’ daughter, Patience (Pleshette) and the arrival of the real Swifty Morgan (Connors). Now, can Smith come up with a scheme to save Jug’s hide, stop the mining feud and win over Patience or will he end up blowing up the entire town? Directed by western legend Burt Kennedy (The Train Robbers).

Rebound

Indie Rights / Released 9/29/15

After Claire walks in on her boyfriend with another woman she decides to give up her dreams as an actress and move back home to Chicago. She packs up her things and embarks on the cross country journey. The minute she steps one foot in the car, things seem to take a turn for the worst. Her car breaks down in a strange town. Not knowing who to trust, she is at the mercy of the towns people to get her car up and running so she can continue what she started. Only things don’t go the way she planned. She finds herself trapped in a nightmare, physically and mentally. She’s forced to face her old demons as well as these new demons and can’t decide what’s worse, leaving the question of will she escape this terrible place or is this place better than the mental anguish that’s been plaguing her.

Last Word: Rebound (written, directed and produced by Megan Freels) is all about a bad day…like a REALLY bad day…I’m talking about the kind of day that includes you accidentally farting on a first date, but instead of just noise it also contains squishy lumps, the smell of death, your date puking…and no call for a second date. Yeah, that kind of day. The bad day in this case belongs to Claire (Ashley James), a pretty, struggling actress from L.A who catches her boyfriend of three years (Brett Johnson) in bed with another woman (Ali Williams) and falls completely apart.

To counteract the definite binge-eating that will take place, Claire makes the reasonable decision to return home to Chicago into the warm, safe embrace of her parents via a hopefully head-clearing road trip that starts off horrible and only gets worse from there. Seriously, this chick would have been better served by staying in L.A., buying a case of Nutella and settling in for a Netflix marathon while wearing expandable pants. Her bad luck begins with losing her phone at a rest-stop and ends with a showdown in a faux Jiffy Lube (the middle part involves her car pretty much treating her like her ex-boyfriend, ending up in a town that is seemingly populated by ornery men-folk- who have no problem with the concept of Roofie-ing a young woman- and a bizarre therapy session that insurance definitely won’t cover).

I don’t want to get too into the minutia of the film, otherwise that would ruin it for you but let’s just say that if you happen to enjoy women-in-distress torture flicks with a side of a psychoanalytical maniac/car mechanic (Mark Sheibmeir) mixed with just a hint of film-noir, then you are going to like Rebound.  Freels’ first film as a writer/director provides plenty of tension as the ramifications of one bad decision will haunt forever.  The brief running time keeps things tight, but the film overall could use a little more breathing room. Yep, just an enjoyable, low-budget (but well structured) movie that teaches you that sometimes the best thing you can do after a truly broken heart is watch TV and eat Chocolate Hazelnut Butter straight from the jar can…it’ll save you from making the biggest mistake of your life. (– Elizabeth Weitz)

Soul Boys Of The Western World

IFC Films / Released 9/29/15

Soul Boys Of The Western World is a journey through the 1980s and beyond; the story of a band, an era and how one small gathering of outsiders in London shaped the entire world’s view of music and fashion. The film is not only a fascinating, often hard-hitting social and cultural document of the time, but a brutally honest story of how friendships can be won, lost and ultimately regained.

Long-time Julien Temple collaborator Hencken won acclaim for her honest and uplifting archive-only feature documentary, which combines newsreel footage with never-before-seen video from the band’s personal archives, as well as candid interviews with all five band members.

Spandau Ballet are one of Britain’s great iconic bands having sold over 25 million records, scored numerous multi-platinum albums and amassed 23 hit singles across the globe since their humble beginnings as a group of friends with dreams of stardom in the late 1970s. It wasn’t long before they became fully fledged members of the iconic Blitz Club scene and established themselves as one of the super-groups of the 80s. After two decades apart, the band reformed in 2009, embarking on a sold-out tour.  Soul Boys Of The Western World marks the first time their story has been documented on film.

White Shadow

IndiePix / Released 9/29/15

There is a saying in East Africa, “Albinos don’t die, they just disappear” and seventy-three such documented killings have occurred in the past several years as well as hundreds of unreported attacks since 2007. After witnessing his father’s murder, Alias’ mother sends him away to find refuge in the city and the young albino boy is brought to the care of his uncle, Kosmos, a truck driver struggling with a few small businesses. In the city, Alias is a quick learner, selling sunglasses, DVDs and mobile phones. He is fond of his uncle’s daughter, Antoinette, although his uncle disapproves. Unfortunately for Alias, however, the city becomes no different than the bush and wherever he travels the same chilling rules of survival apply.

Cop Car

Universal/ Released 10/6/15

A pair of ten-year-olds find an abandoned cop car in a field. When they take it for a joyride, it seems like they could kill themselves at any moment. But things only get worse when the small town sheriff goes looking for his missing car. The kids find themselves in the center of a deadly game of cat and mouse they don’t understand and the only way out is to go as fast as their cop car can take them. Extras include making of.

Last Word: Cop Car gets maximum mileage out of this simple premise: Two boys take an abandoned police car for a joyride. Director and cowriter Jon Watts (who based the story on a recurring dream he had as a child) was inspired by the Coen Brothers’ first film, Blood Simple, and he hits the mark squarely in that darkly funny, brutal territory.

Clocking in at a brisk 86 minutes, the films begins with two 10-year-old boys – Travis (James Freedson-Jackson) and Harrison (Hays Wellford), who’ve run away from home. As they traverse the empty fields of a desolate-looking Colorado Springs, they swear and poke sticks into a snake hole, delighting in all things they shouldn’t be doing. 

 Their small rebellions grow monumentally bigger when they stumble on a police car parked in the middle of nowhere. Once they realize there’s no policeman in sight, they dare each other just to touch the car; soon they’re playing driver in the front seat and when they discover the car keys, they can’t resist taking it for a ride. Of course, they have no idea what they’ve set in motion.

That’s when we flashback to how the car ended up there: Crooked Sheriff Kretzer (Kevin Bacon, sporting a brilliantly perverse mustache) is there to dispose of evidence of his illegal activities. He’s halfway through when he discovers the car is gone. Of course he can’t simply report it missing, but he’s soon on the trail of the boys, frantically trying to cover his tracks. The boys’ adventure quickly escalates into nightmare when they discover what Kretzer’s got in the trunk: If they were a few years older, they’d be better equipped to deal with Kretzer’s manipulations, but their naivete only makes them more vulnerable. Bacon gives one of his most enjoyable performances as Kretzer; It’s hard to imagine anyone else in the role of the wily, crooked cop.

In the film’s final moments as he relentlessly pursues the boys, he invokes such classic movie boogeymen as Robert Mitchum in The Night of the Hunter. This year, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Seattle Film Festival and it’s definitely high time he got more recognition. This might not be the film to earn him awards glory, but after 30 years, he seems long overdue. Watts and Ford’s next film is called Barn Man, about a small town drunk who finds a magical creature living in a barn, and they’re planning sequels to their first film, Clown. Unfortunately, after that, Watts is directing the wholly unnecessary Spider-Man reboot. His talent with young actors gives me hope, but I wish he’d keep making solid thrillers like this one. (– Sharon Knolle)

Dark Places

Lionsgate / Released 10/6/15

Libby Day (Charlize Theron) was only seven years old when her mother and two sisters were brutally murdered in their rural Kansas farmhouse and her testimony put her troubled 16-year-old brother, Ben (Tye Sheridan), in prison for life. Twenty-five years later, a cash-strapped Libby reluctantly agrees to revisit the crime for a fee and uncovers the wrenching truths that led up to that tragic night in Dark Places, an ingeniously twisted thriller based on the best-selling novel by Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl) and co-starring Nicholas Hoult, Christina Hendricks, and Chloe Grace Moretz. Extras include featurettes.

4GOT10

Cinedigm/ Released 10/6/15

4GOT10 begins as Brian Barns (Johnny Messner) wakes up in the desert wounded and surround by eight dead bodies, millions of dollars in cash and a van full of cocaine. Worse yet, he has no memory of who he is or how he got there. However, he soon learns that he is being hunted by a notorious drug lord (Danny Trejo), a DEA agent (Dolph Lundgren), and a corrupt Sherriff (Michael Paré), all of whom will stop at nothing to find him. On the run for his very life, Barns slowly finds out who he really is, but the more he remembers, the more deadly things become.

Air

Sony / Released 10/6/15

In the near future, breathable air is nonexistent. Virtually all of humanity has disappeared, and those chosen to reestablish society reside in a controlled state of suspended animation. Two engineers tasked with guarding the last hope for mankind struggle to preserve their own sanity and lives while administering to the vital task at hand. Starring Norman Reedus and two-time Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (Best Supporting Actor, Blood Diamond, 2006 and In America, 2003). Extras include featurettes.

Last Word: Mildly interesting, albeit disappointing, Air is full of ideas that never seem to come together.  Concepts, ideas, story threads are introduced and regardless of their promise, they never are explored thoroughly and isn’t particularly engaging.  The chemistry between Reedus and Hounsou is glaringly nonexisitant and the film often feels criminally self-important that it’s hard to buy into it.

American Horror Story: Freak Show

20th Century Fox/ Released 10/6/15

Step inside American Horror Story: Freak Show, the terrifyingly twisted reincarnation of TV’s most shockingly original series. Jessica Lange leads an extraordinary, awardwinning cast that includes Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson and Michael Chiklis. Lange plays Elsa Mars, the proprietor of a troupe of human “curiosities” on a desperate journey of survival in the sleepy hamlet of Jupiter, Florida, in 1952. Her menagerie of performers includes a two-headed, telepathic twin (Paulson), a take-charge bearded lady (Bates), a vulnerable strongman (Chiklis) and his sultry, three-breasted wife (Bassett). But the strange emergence of a dark entity will savagely threaten the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike. Extras include featurettes, interviews with real-life cast “freaks” and premiere footage.

Includes the episodes:

• Monsters Among Us: A milkman makes a horrifying discovery at a farmhouse. The surviving victim is taken to the hospital, where freak show proprietor Elsa Marks pays them a visit.

• Massacres and Matinees: When Bette reveals that she can’t sing, Dot demonstrates an unexpected talent. Meanwhile, a strongman and his wife arrive at the show seeking employment, and Dandy makes a new friend.

• Edward Mordrake, Pt 1: A fortune teller arrives at the freak show looking for work, and impresses Elsa with her insight… and Jimmy with her beauty. Meanwhile, the freaks refuse to perform on Halloween because of the story that the ghost of Edward Mordrake will come seeking to add a freak to his collection.

• Edward Mordrake, Pt 2: While the ghostly Edward Mordrake stalks the freak show, Jimmy and Maggie encounter Twisty and Elsa speaks of her days in Germany during the War.

• Pink Cupcakes: Stanley tries to convince Elsa to go into television, as a ruse to get hold of the Tattler Twins and sell their body to the Morbidity Museum. Meanwhile, Maggie tries to warn Jimmy, and Dandy commits his first murder.

• Bullseye: Elsa orders the freaks to celebrate her birthday with a week of festivities. However, when one of them betrays her she demands that he take his place on the Wheel. Meanwhile, Maggie refuses to murder Jimmy for Stanley and plots to kill Ma Petite.

• Test of Strength: Stanley blackmails Dell into procuring a freak for him. However, when Dell chooses the wrong victim, the camp’s females rally against him. Meanwhile, Jimmy confronts his father and Penny’s father gives her a going away present.

• Blood Bath: When Ethel confronts Elsa over Ma Petite’s death, Elsa explains how she obtained her wooden legs. Meanwhile, Gloria receives psychiatric advice about Dandy, Elsa recruits a new freak, and Desiree offers to help Penny deal with Vince.

• Tupperware Party Massacre: Dandy comes to Maggie to get his fortune told. Meanwhile, Regina summons Colquitt when Dandy tells her what he’s done, and Stanley and Elsa assure the Tattlers that Dr. Candy will soon be coming to separate them.

• Orphans: After Salty’s death, Elsa decides to take Pepper back to her sister. Meanwhile, Maggie asks Desiree for help in exposing Stanley and his plans for the freaks.

• Magical Thinking: Elsa decides who will own the freak show after she leaves for Hollywood. Meanwhile, a new performer is attracted to the Tattlers, and Dell and Eve set out to rescue Jimmy from jail.

• Show Stoppers: Maggie tries to prove her loyalty to Jimmy. Meanwhile, the Twins receive troubling information about Chester.

• Curtain Call: Dandy prepares for his big performance, but the freaks have other plans. Meanwhile, Elsa goes to Hollywood and all of her dreams come true… except for the most important one of all.

Amnesiac

XLrator Media / Released 10/6/15

A psychological thriller about of a man (Wes Bentley) who wakes up in bed suffering from memory loss after being in an accident, only to begin to suspect that his wife (Kate Bosworth) may not be his real wife. The web of lies and deceit deepen inside the house where he soon finds himself a prisoner.

The Anomaly

Starz/Anchor Bay/ Released 10/6/15

It is the near future, and ex-soldier and PTSD patient Ryan Reeve (Noel Clarke) has a very disturbing type of blackout amnesia: He regains consciousness days or weeks apart for exactly 9 minutes and 47 seconds, only to discover that he is now a lethal operative for a mysterious organization. But as he tries to piece together his past with each reboot, he realizes that the organization now wants him dead. Can Reeve stay two steps ahead of a sinister colleague (Ian Somerhalder) he does not recognize long enough to destroy a global conspiracy he can’t escape? Alexis Knapp, Luke Hemsworth and Brian Cox co-star in this action thriller.

Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series

Nickelodeon/ Released 10/6/15

Go back to the beginning to experience the epic saga of Avatar: The Last Airbender again with this complete collection! From the discovery of Avatar Aang in the frozen iceberg to the mastery of all four elements, from the battle at Ba Sing Se to the final showdown with the Fire Nation, your destiny awaits as you relive all the powerful bending that will blow you away once more!

Includes the episodes:

• The Boy in the Iceberg: Katara and Sokka, a brother and sister from the Southern Water Tribe, discover a twelve-year-old boy frozen in an iceberg.

• The Avatar Returns: Prince Zuko, a young Firebender whose mission in life is to capture the Avatar, tracks Aang down to the Southern Water Tribe village where Katara and Sokka live.
  

• The Southern Air Temple: Aang is eager to take Sokka and Katara to the Air Temple where he was raised. But upon arrival, it becomes apparent that the temple is not at all how Aang remembers it.

• The Warriors of Kyoshi: Aang and company travel to a small island.

• The King of Omashu: Aang takes Katara and Sokka to an Earthbender city to play on their delivery slides. The kids cause damage to the city and are brought before a crazy old king.

• Imprisoned: The kids come to an Earth Nation town which is occupied by the Fire Nation. But will Katara’s attempts to inspire the oppressed people help them or hurt them?

• The Spirit World: Winter Solstice, Part 1: The gang assist a town being terrorized by a monster.

• Avatar Roku: Winter Solstice, Part 2: During the winter solstice, Aang must reach a Fire Nation temple while dodging Prince Zuko, Commander Zhao, and the Fire Sages who guard it.

• The Waterbending Scroll: When Katara’s desire to master Waterbending gets the best of her, the kids find themselves on the run from pirates.

• Jet: Our heroes’ friendship is tested when they meet Jet, a charismatic teenager leading a band of rebels who are fighting against the Fire Nation.

• The Great Divide: On their way to the North Pole, Aang and company find two groups of squabbling refugees.

• The Storm: A powerful storm brings up painful memories of the past – and puts everyone in jeopardy in the present.

• The Blue Spirit: Aang tries to find cures for Sokka and Katara’s ailments but is captured and imprisoned.

• The Fortuneteller: Aang, Katara, and Sokka discover a village of people who are all reliant on a fortuneteller in their everyday lives.

• Bato of the Water Tribe: Aang feels insecure when Katara and Sokka come across something that reminds them of home.

• The Deserter: Aang attempts to find a Firebending master to teach him while Katara learns that she possesses a special power.

• The Northern Air Temple: After hearing rumors about surviving Airbenders, the kids journey to the Northern Air temple to see for themselves.

• The Waterbending Master: The kids reach the Northern Water tribe, and Aang and Katara look for a Waterbending Master as Sokka falls for a princess.

• The Siege of the North (Part 1): The Northern Water Tribe braces itself for an attack by Admiral Zhao’s Fire Navy fleet.

• The Siege of the North (Part 2): Zhao’s invasion breaks through the outer wall of the Northern Water Tribe’s defenses, and he reveals a sinister plan.

• The Avatar State: Aang and the group meet an Earth Kingdom general who wants to use Aang’s powerful “Avatar State” as a weapon to defeat the Fire Nation.

• The Cave of Two Lovers: On their way to Omashu, the kids meet a group of nomads who show them a short cut through the “cave of two lovers.” But when the kids become lost in the caves, they have to trust in love in order to overcome the curse and get out of the tunnels.

• Return To Omashu: The kids return to Omashu so that Aang can learn Earthbending from King Bumi. But when they get there, they are shocked to find the city is now in Fire Nation hands. Despite the danger, Aang enters Omashu in search of King Bumi.

• The Swamp: When the kids end up in a mysterious and strange swamp, their fears are exposed. And Aang learns about being “connected to the Earth” from an unlikely teacher.

• Avatar Day: Aang and the gang discover an Earth town that celebrates something called Avatar Day.

• The Blind Bandit: Aang and company search for someone to teach him earthbending.

• Zuko Alone: Traveling without Uncle now, Zuko wanders alone into an Earth Kingdom town where he bonds with a local boy. Meanwhile, Zuko is haunted by memories of his own youth.

• The Chase: As the kids are pursued relentlessly by a mysterious machine, their exhaustion puts them at each other’s throats.

• Bitter Work: When Aang struggles with a block while trying to learn Earthbending from Toph, he wonders if the problem is with him or his teacher. Meanwhile, Sokka gets himself in a jam.

• The Library: Aang and his friends learn of a library within which dwells information to help defeat the Fire Nation.

• The Desert: Aang and company escape the library only to find more treacherous challenges.

• The Secret of the Fire Nation: Aang and the group escort a group of refugees to Ba Sing Se through the deadly “Serpent’s Pass.” There they discover a monstrous plot by the Fire Nation that threatens the city!

• City of Walls and Secrets: Aang and the kids finally arrive in Ba Sing Se to see the Earth King, only to find mysterious forces within the city conspiring to stop them.

• Tales of Ba Sing Se: A series of short stories, highlighting different characters and their individual adventures in the city.

• Appa’s Lost Days: In this special episode, we go back in time to the moment Appa was stolen.

• Lake Laogai: While searching for Appa, the kids run into Jet, but are torn about whether to trust him or not. Meanwhile, Zuko also hunts for Appa.

• The Earth King: The kids battle Long Feng the Dai Li when they attempt to show the Earth King the vast conspiracy taking place in his city.

• The Guru/The Crossroads of Destiny: A guru at the Eastern Air Temple helps Aang take the next step in his Avatar journey. Everyone races against time to stop Azula’s sinister conquest of Ba Sing Se.

• The Awakening: After sustaining serious injuries at the end of season two, Aang awakens to find himself aboard a Fire Nation ship. Meanwhile, Zuko journeys home.

• The Headband: To better camouflage themselves as real Fire Nation citizens, the kids check out a Fire Nation school.

• The Painted Lady: When the gang comes to a suffering fishing village, a mysterious spirit appears to help the villagers.

• Sokka’s Master: When Sokka feels he’s not contributing enough to the group, he seeks out a mysterious master to teach him the ways of the sword.

• The Beach: Zuko, Azula, Mai, and Ty Lee go on vacation at Lo and Li’s beach house, where they learn a lot about themselves and each other. Meanwhile, the kids face a new enemy.

• The Avatar and The Firelord: Aang and Zuko are taken on parallel adventures that give them insight into their forefathers’ pasts – but how does the tale of Roku and Sozin matter to them now?

• The Runaway: When Toph discovers a quick way to make cash, Katara disapproves, and the rift between them has disastrous consequences.

• The Puppetmaster: The kids investigate mysterious disappearances in a spooky town. Katara makes a special connection.

• Nightmares and Daydreams: On the eve of the eclipse, Aang’s anxiety gets the better of him. His dreams become nightmares, and soon he can no longer tell dream from reality.

• Day of the Black Sun: With the day of the eclipse upon them, the kids — along with a rag-tag force of old friends — enact their long-planned invasion of the Fire Nation.

• The Western Air Temple: When our gang regroups at the Western Air temple, they find someone there they weren’t expecting.

• The Firebendinga Masters: When it comes time for Zuko to teach Aang Firebending, it turns out Aang is not the only one who needs a lesson.

• The Boiling Rock: Sokka and Zuko head to the Fire Nation’s most heavily guarded prison — the Boiling Rock — in hopes to find and break-out the captured invasion force.

• The Southern Raiders: Katara sets out to confront the Fire Nation soldier who killed her mother.

• The Ember Island Players: The kids see a play about themselves and all their past adventures.

• Sozin’s Comet: The kids learn new information about Firelord Ozai’s master plan and decide to strike sooner than planned — but will Aang be ready?

Batkid Begins

Warner Bros. / Released 10/6/15

Batkid Begins looks at the “why” of this flash phenomenon. Why did the intense outpouring of spontaneous support for a child reverberate among the world and become one of the biggest good news stories ever? The film explores what happens when an event goes viral, and reveals surprising truths about what happens when a nerve is touched in our digital society. Will the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation fulfill its mission to help Miles reclaim his childhood after battling disease for more than half his short life?

In the end, the film leaves audiences to decide: did Miles need the world for inspiration? Or did the world need Miles?

Last Word: By thwarting The Riddler and The Penguin and saving not only a lady on the trolley tracks but also SF Giants mascot Lou Seal, Miles Scott was given the Key to the City from Mayor Ed Lee on November 15, 2013.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation made Miles’ dream come true and in turn, a city was transformed into a heroic playground for the leukemia survivor. Batkid saved the day, took over our social media for the afternoon and everyone from fellow Batmen Affleck, Kilmer and Keaton to President Obama thanked him for his service.

Batkid Begins documents the small town of Tulelake, CA family’s battle with cancer and the redeeming qualities of community based action. What was meant to be perhaps 100 volunteers turned into an entire city playing a small background character in a real life Batman Movie starring our Batkid, a five-year-old Miles Scott. I remember ‘Batkid’ Day. We’re three hours ahead so here on the East Coast this was prime twitter time for me. It was unavoidable. Even Facebook’s algorithms couldn’t stop that which was the heart of this thing.

It was all over everywhere, and I shared and retweeted as much as I saw from #SFBATKID on Twitter, reading about this amazing story. Batkid Begins tells the story of Miles and his parents and their struggle since Miles was diagnosed at 18 months. Can cancer just stop it already? I mean that villain goes after a young kid that just wants to play with his toys all day and run around in a cape. Actually, as clarified near the beginning of the movie, 18 months is old enough to qualify for the amazing work of Make-A-Wish, but the parents smartly waited until he was a bit older and he fought his own battles and became more of a person before asking Miles what his wish would be.

Naturally, putting anyone, let alone a kid, through countless draining hours of treatment can take its toll. Steroids, chemo, the whole stinkin’ lot of it is the pits. What comes out of that is a spirit of being a fighter. And that is around the time Miles’ Dad Nick introduced him to Adam West on TV as Batman. Our little Bruce Wayne fell head over heals for the Caped Crusader and demanded his own cape for dress-up. When Make-A-Wish returned to the Scott’s lives, Miles said simply he wanted to be Batman. Not meet Batman, not hang out with Batman. He wanted to BE BATMAN. Make-A Wish’s Patricia Wilson was the one in charge of making it happen. With the cooperation of S.F.P.D. Chief Greg Suhr and an acrobatic stuntman/gadget inventor Eric “EJ” Johnston, the foundation was set to make San Francisco into Gotham City for the day.

Local KGO-TV anchor Ama Deatz got in on the action too as the plot for an ‘Episode’ for Miles to be engaged in came from a television news flash. But that is hardly the end of the story for the media’s involvement. From street level twitter campaigns to global newspaper and blog coverage, the day of Batkid was a beacon of hope. Batkid served as a shining yellow Batsymbol into the sky touching hearts around the world.

If you are unfamiliar with what went down that day, the basic plot took Miles from a pre-training day with the ‘Justice League’ Circus Center to him awakening to Batman (EJ) at his hotel room door being asked to suit up! His little brother Clayton showed support by decking himself out in full Robin garb. Miles was the center of attention, however, as he went to the Batcave (loading dock of Hyatt Regency SF) and strapped into the Batmobile. Through some man-made fog, the Lamborghini with a Batsymbol on it rolled out onto his first mission into the Russian Hill neighborhood where a damsel in distress was tied to a bomb laid by The Riddler. That damsel was EJ’s wife Sue Graham Johnston, who was of course rescued by the Dynamic Duo.

All the while, from street to street, thousands upon thousands of fans holding up “SAVE US BATKID” signs showed support for our little man. S.F.P.D. motorcycle cops came in from being off-duty just to ride next to Miles and make sure he made it to the next spot. Miles captured Riddler in a bank vault — and all of this is before lunch! Even though our Batkid was getting tuckered out, he stuck with it to take on his next foil, The Penguin! Left with a riddle from The Riddler. “Batkid! Riddle Me This! What flies underwater, sly as a ghost, wanting to snatch, what this city loves most?”

SF Giants mascot Lou Seal (who needed to take an Uber to the crime scene!) was overtaken by The Penguin and the resulting car chase brought the action to AT&T Park! With some cool acrobatics learned in training the night before, our Batkid was able to knuckleball the knucklehead and save Lou from his slippery aquatic captor. Much like my favorite movie, Star Wars, Mayor Ed Lee celebrated Miles & Batman’s accomplishments by offering him with a Key to the City at the end of the ‘Episode’.

This truly incredible story about how a city can transform to make a kid’s dream come true is worth the watch. Be sure to have plenty of Bat-Kleenex, as the story is sad (in a good way?). Not because Miles was sick, but the heartfelt emotions of people banding together for something great and touching happens nearly once a lifetime. Rarely have I felt as emotional watching a documentary as I had watching this one. Having the world rally around Batkid for just one day made up for years of losing faith in humanity. (– Clay N Ferno)

Blunt Force Trauma

Alchemy / Released 10/6/15

In the seedy underground dueling culture of South America, two duelists wearing Kevlar vests face each other in opposing circles, draw, and shoot… with only the victor left standing. John (Ryan Kwanten), a talented young shooter seeks the ultimate duel with the champion, Zorringer (Mickey Rourke), while Colt (Freida Pinto) seeks revenge for the death of her brother.

Burnt Offerings

Kino Lorber / Released 10/6/15

Evil Has A New Home! Step inside a vacation house of horror in this terrifying thriller that does for summer homes what Jaws did for a dip in the surf. Karen Black (The Pyx), Oliver Reed (The Brood) and Bette Davis (All About Eve), star in this riveting haunted-house chiller that delivers hidden terrors mounting creepily as the film builds to a climax of pulverizing fright. Marian (Black) and Ben (Reed) find it hard to believe that for only $900 they’ve rented a sprawling country mansion for the entire summer. But as they settle into their isolated estate with their son (Lee Montgomery, Ben) and Ben’s aunt (Davis), they find themselves surrounded by an evil, hypnotic living presence that feeds on torture, fear and murder. The stellar cast includes Burgess Meredith (The Sentinel), Eileen Heckart (The Bad Seed), Dub Taylor (Gator) and Anthony James (High Plains Drifter). Co-written, produced and directed by horror legend Dan Curtis (Dark Shadows).  Extras include interviews, commentary tracks, animated montage, original trailer and Trailers From Hell with Steve Senski.

Shattered

Kino Lorber / Released 10/13/15

When your memory has been taken, whom do you trust? Writer/director Wolfgang Petersen (In the Line of Fire, Das Boot) cranks up the suspense in this riveting thriller that will keep you guessing up until its shockingly unexpected ending. Stars Tom Berenger (Love at Large), Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa), Greta Scacchi (The Player), Joanne Whalley (Scandal) and Corbin Bernsen (TV’s Psych) breathes life into this gripping film noir about the survivor of a car accident who begins to suspect his near-death… was no accident. Dan Merrick (Berenger) struggles to reconstruct his life after an accident leaves him without much of a memory – and in the care of a wife (Scacchi) and his friends who seem to be repainting his past. And as Merrick begins to reconstruct his life, strange flashes of memory begin to surface, each drawing him further into a maze of corruption that could prove more deadly than any accident. Beautifully shot by the legendary Laszlo Kovacs (Easy Rider) and featuring the great character actor Theodore Bikel (I Want to Live!).  Extras include making of featurette.

Company Business

Kino Lorber / Released 10/13/15

It’s not the company you keep… it’s the company that keeps you! The Cold War may be over, but things are about to heat up again! Screen legend Gene Hackman (The Package, Prime Cut) teams up with Mikhail Baryshnikov (White Nights) in this fast paced, thrill a minute ride that hurtles through Europe, culminating in a death defying confrontation a top the Eiffel Tower! When an ex-CIA agent (Hackman) is called out of retirement to escort a Soviet spy (Baryshnikov) to Berlin for a prisoner trade with the Russians, it seems like business as usual. But when the former adversaries realize they’ve been double crossed by their own governments, they must work together to uncover and destroy the double operatives within both the CIA and the KGB to win this intricate and deadly game. Written and directed by Nicholas Meyer (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) and featuring wonderful performances by the two leads, Kurtwood Smith (Robocop) and Terry O’Quinn (The Stepfather). Extras include featurettes, selected B-Rolls, trailers and cast & crew sound bites.

Nocturna

Alchemy / Released 10/6/15

It’s Christmastime in New Orleans and children are mysteriously disappearing, stolen from their homes, taken off the street, dozens have vanished without a trace. Detective Harry Ganat and his partner Roy Cody have found a young girl in the home of a murdered swamper and she leads them to the den of her captors…the Molderos, a group of merciless vampires who feed on the blood of children. The detectives lives are spared by a troika of ancient vampires; Brisbane, Dimitri and Lydia—all seductive creatures who despise the Molderos as well. In exchange for protecting the detectives from their new enemies, the trio of “friendly” vampires offer them a deal—find the hidden lair of their mutual enemies and their lives will be spared and the other stolen children will be returned to them unharmed. But finding and killing the Molderos is not going to be easy and Harry soon finds himself questioned by the police, hunted by the Molderos at night, and caught in a deadly love triangle between Lydia and her ancient master, Brisbane.

Bon Voyage,  Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back!)

Paramount / Released 10/6/15

Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (And Don’t Come Back!) takes the Peanuts gang on their first international jaunt. Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty and Marcie are chosen as – you guessed it! – exchange students, destined to spend two weeks in Le ‘Heron, France. Of course, Snoopy and Woodstock join the French odyssey, which turns out to be a combination of mystery, intrigue and romance coupled with the usual complexities that seem to beset Charlie Brown wherever he goes.

Pee-Wee’s Playhouse: Christmas Special

Shout! Factory/ Released 10/6/15

Pee-wee’s Christmas Special As You’ve Never Seen It Before – Beautifully Restored, Remastered and in High Definition! Join the whole Playhouse gang for one of the wackiest specials ever! With laughs for the whole family, this unique, triple Emmy-nominated special offers all the imagination and charm of Saturday morning’s most outrageous TV series, which became a cultural milestone when it aired from 1986-1991. Pee-wee gets into the spirit of the season with lots of singing, dancing and other holiday fun with his Playhouse pals and more than a dozen celebrity guest stars as you’ve never seen them before. Everything is going great for Pee-wee… until his Christmas wish list becomes so long that there won’t be enough presents for all the other kids in the world! When Santa Claus pleads for help, Pee-wee reluctantly learns a lesson about the true meaning of Christmas.  Special guests include Frankie Avalon, Charo, The Del Rubio Triplets, Annette Funicello, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Whoopi Goldberg, Magic Johnson, Grace Jones, k.d. lang, Little Richard, Joan Rivers, Dinah Shore and Oprah Winfrey.  Extras include commentary and featurette.

Penny Dreadful: Season 2

Showtime / Released 10/6/15

Penny Dreadful returns finding Vanessa Ives (Eva Green) and Ethan Chandler (Josh Hartnett) forming a deeper bond as the group, including Sir Malcolm (Timothy Dalton), Dr. Frankenstein (Harry Treadaway), and Sembene (Danny Sapani), unite to banish the evil forces that threaten to destroy them. Meanwhile, Dorian Gray (Reeve Carney), the Creature (Rory Kinnear) and Brona (Billie Piper) are all waging battles of their own. Extras include video production blogs, featurette, round table and character profiles.

Includes the episodes:

• Fresh Hell: Evelyn torments Vanessa with demonic visions in an attempt to bring her to her Master. Meanwhile, Victor struggles to bring Brona back to life, Caliban finds a new job, and Malcolm and his wife go their separate ways.

• Verbis Diablo: Malcolm remakes Evelyn’s acquaintance, unaware that he is falling under her spell. Meanwhile, Vanessa finds a means of relieving her terror, and Victor reteaches Brona the basics she needs to survive in the world.

• The Nightcomers: Vanessa tells Ethan how she mastered her abilities with the aid of an old witch, the Cut-Wife… and the fate that befell her.

• Evil Spirits in Heavenly Places: While Ferdinand and Malcolm seek to translate Brother Gregory’s relics, Ethan makes the unwitting acquaintance of Evelyn’s daughter Hecate. Meanwhile, Vanessa and Victor go shopping, and Brona learns about corsets and women’s shoes.

• Above the Vaulted Sky: While Hecate and Evelyn prepare their totems, Malcolm and his friends prepare the manor for a siege. Victor takes Brona out in public for the first time, while Caliban and Vanessa discuss poetry.

• Glorious Horrors: Malcolm is surprisingly unaffected by news of his family’s most recent tragedy. Meanwhile, Rusk and Roper both confront Ethan, Ethan asks Sembene for a favor, and Dorian sends out invitations for Angelique’s coming-out ball.

• Little Scorpion: Vanessa takes Ethan to Joan’s cottage to acquire the book when they realize the extent of the foe they face.

• Memento Mori: While Caliban demands Brona for himself, Evelyn tries and fails to ensnare Malcolm for good. However, when he comes looking for her, she has a plan within a plan to acquire her Master’s true goal.

• And Hell Itself My Only Foe: Vanessa and Ethan return to London, and Rusk warns Ethan that he will be following him day and night. The team advise caution in rescuing Malcolm, but Vanessa insists on going in alone.

• And They Were Enemies: While Vanessa confronts the Master–Lucifer–Malcolm and Victor face their inner demons.

Adventure Time – The Enchiridion

Cartoon Network/ Released 10/6/15

The Enchiridion is an ancient book with codes of conduct, guidelines, and other helpful information for heroes. Watch our hero’s Finn and Jake unlock the secrets in Adventure Time: The Enchiridion!

Includes the episodes:

• The Enchiridion!: Princess Bubblegum sends Finn on his most challenging quest yet–to recover The Enchiridion, the hero’s handbook.

• In Your Footsteps: A bear befriends Finn and Jake, but what are his true intentions? 

• Henchmen: Finn takes the place of Marceline’s henchman, and he finds out how hard it is to obey her strange ways. 

• Billy’s Bucket List: Finn meets Billy’s ex-girlfriend, Canyon, who finds Billy’s bucket list. Finn vows to complete it for his late hero.

• Betty: The Ice King loses his powers, reverts to his old human-self, and begins to wither away due to being over a thousand years old.

• Ocarina: Kim Kil Whan wants to teach his dad Jake responsibility.

• Astral Plane: Finn and Jake go camping in the woods. When they go to sleep, Finn has an out-of-body experience and visits other creatures all around Ooo while he slowly ascends to space.

• Ghost Fly: Jake kills a fly that gets into his soup. However, he and Finn must get creative when the fly returns as a powerful ghost to haunt them.

• Root Beer Guy: Root beer guy must put aside his common everyday life to search for the truth behind the murders, lies, and deceit in the Candy Kingdom.

• The Pajama War: A slumber party is being held in the Candy Kingdom and Finn and Princess Bubblegum are sent to 7 minutes in Heaven.

• What Have You Done?: After being told to arrest the Ice King, Finn and Jake face an ethical quandary when they realize the villain has not actually committed any recent crimes.

• James II: ‘James’, Finn & Jake, and Princess Bubblegum discover that James has been cloned 25 times, and that the original zombie James is returning – and not in a good way.

• Web Weirdos: After being caught by a giant spider, Finn and Jake try and help the arachnid with its marital problems so they won’t be eaten.

• The Gut Grinder: Jake is accused of being a horrible monster that has been terrorizing the locals. Soon, Jake himself is unsure if he is or isn’t the monster.

• No One Can Hear You: After trying to stop a deer that has been licking the Candy Kingdom people, Finn wakes up in a hospital to find everyone missing expect Jake who is acting very strange.

• Dungeon Train: Finn and Jake discover a train where every car is a dungeon filled with a new foe for Finn to fight.

The Don Rickles TV Specials: Volume 1

Time/Life / Released 10/6/15

Credit CBS and ABC for offering Rickles the chance to showcase his talents in the two ’70s-era TV specials; “Mr. Warmth” jokes, sings, dances, acts and expands the comedy horizons of the typical variety show and he wears many hats while doing so — and some rather interesting hairpieces. Amidst all the stingers and zingers, Rickles was never afraid to laugh at himself, and celebrities of the day always loved entering his world. And in these memorable TV classics, home audiences are treated to an incredible line-up of Hollywood royalty who took Don’s jabs with aplomb – and dished it out, as well. The legendary Rickles, however, was always in charge. Because, for Don, it’s always better to give than to receive….Includes The Many Sides of Don Rickles and Don Rickles: Alive and Kicking. Extras include new introductions from Don and Jimmy Kimmel presenting Don with the “TV Land Awards Legend Award”.

Final Girl 

Cinedigm / Released 10/6/15

Every night, four boys trick a young, blonde girl into meeting them in the forest for a date with the intention to hunt and kill her. One night, Veronica (Abigail Breslin) is selected and when the hunt begins, the boys soon realize that they messed with the wrong girl. Extras include making of, gallery with commentary and outtakes.

Last Word: When first we meet sweet, little Veronica (Gracyn Shinyei), she’s being interviewed by mystery man William (Wes Bentley), and it’s quickly clear that Veronica is “special.” Simply by completing a maze and describing her childhood home in great detail, it becomes clear to William that she has an aptitude to become a soft-spoken blonde who can throw some good punches and walk on rocks.

Which is where we find Veronica 12 years later portrayed by Abigail Breslin. Breslin, I’m afraid, is a little lackluster and unconvincing as a clever, shrewd, ass-kicker. But a lot of that has less to do with her performance and far more to do with boring cinematography and shallow script. Her younger self was a far more interesting character but was held to the very short exposition. Twelve years later, we are hoping for a top notch secret agent with Neo-like kung-fu abilities. Instead, she seems more like a deer in headlights half the time. Bentley, as the Morpheus to her timid-Neo, plays cool and emotionless fairly well though we still don’t know for a bit exactly what these years of training have been like or for.

Consistent to the rushed exposition we’re used to, we cut to four guys a la Barry Levinson’s Diner who seem to be besties, like wearing tuxedos for no reason… and killing blonde girls. Jameson (Alexander Ludwig), is their loathsome ringleader and you don’t need to know much beyond that. He isn’t likeable and that’s just fine. It’s worth noting (warning?) that as Danny, Logan Huffman may or may not be channeling Buster Poindexter. For a reason never explained, Veronica is tasked by William to play victim in the blonde-hunt and cure the world of this psychopathic fraternity.  Does she succeed? Well, not at being intimidating or making a proper fist…

Yet somehow through all this… strangeness, the movie somehow remains watchable until the last ten minutes or so when it gets a little too far out (I’ll just ask this: What is he hanging from?! Why isn’t she getting wet?!).  While it’s not over-the-top enough to be campy and not well constructed enough to be thrilling or scary, Final Girl is certainly not boring and at the very least, the lack of thorough exposition and character detail leave you curious, which is perhaps what drove me through the film.  And by the way, I do not mind close-ups on Wes Bentley’s face.  For reals. (– Marla Singer)

Gravy

Shout! Factory / Released 10/6/15

It’s Halloween night. A trio of costumed misfits with very special dietary requirements invades a Mexican cantina and forces the staff to engage in a late night of gluttony. The only caveat is what’s on the menu… and who will survive until morning! From director and co-writer James Roday (Psych), this deliriously demented horror-comedy is a true feast for genre fans. Stuffed with an outstanding ensemble cast (including Jimmi Simpson, Sarah Silverman, Michael Weston, Gabourey Sidibe, Lily Cole, Sutton Foster, Stefanie Frame, Gabriel Luna, Lothaire Bluteaua nd Paul Rodriguez) and perfectly seasoned with laughs and scares, you’ll be sure to ask for seconds on Gravy. Extras include featurette, commentary, EPK and trailer.

Happyish: Season 1

Showtime/ Released 10/6/15

Thom Payne (Steve Coogan) is a 44 year-old man whose world is thrown into disarray when his 25 year-old “wunderkind” boss arrives, saying things like “digital,” “social” and “viral.” Is he in need of a “rebranding,” or does he just have a “low joy ceiling?” Maybe pursuing happiness is a fool’s errand? Maybe, after 44 years on this ludicrous planet, settling for happyish is the best one can expect.

Includes the episodes:

• Starring Samuel Beckett, Albert Camus and Dr. Alois Alzheimer: 44 year-old Thom Payne is pressured to rebrand himself.

• Starring Marc Chagall, Abuela and Adolf Hitler: Thom gets a lesson in corporate America. Lee’s bubble is invaded.

• Starring Vladimir Nabokov, Hippocrates and God Julius gets ill: Thom endures dueling takes on the meaning of suffering.

• Starring Sigmund Freud, Charles Bukowski and Seven Billion A**holes: While waiting for the mothership to return, Thom is overrun by assholes.

• Starring Josey Wales, Jesus Christ and the New York Times: Thom gets a life lesson – when his train kills a commuter.

• Starring Helen Keller, Moses and Lenny Bruce: Lee and Bella get plastered. Also: angry Israelites and slutty cut-offs.

• Starring David Ogilvy, Anton Chekhov and Gluten Enteropathy: Thom makes a commercial in Beverly Hell. Also: elves and idiots in bikinis.

• Starring Rene Descartes, Adweek and HRH: The Princess of Arendelle Lee suffers through Julius’ movie obsession. Also: marijuana and matricide.

• Starring Mr. Mike, Joseph McCarthy and Alfred: Bernhard Nobel Tragic news greets Thom. Also: ISIS and the meaning or not meaning of Life.

• Starring Christopher Hitchens, Philip Larkin and Josef Stalin: Thom writes a story involving underpants – then he quits.

People, Places, Things

Alchemy / Released 10/6/15

From the moment graphic novelist Will Henry (Clement) walks in on his wife with another man, his life officially begins to suck. Exiled from Brooklyn and forced to see his adorable twin daughters only on weekends, he muddles through single fathering at his drafting table, illustrating his frustrations and loneliness. Clement’s special brand of nerdy cluelessness is utterly charming and soulful in this understated comedy that revels in the awkwardness of breakups and pokes fun at an erudite New York where everyone’s clumsily trying to create a new happy ending.

Last Word:  People Places Things is a hopelessly awkward, yet charming story about a newly single father overcoming a broken heart. It’s not mesmerizing or original, and can’t seem to decide which storylines to focus on, but it manages to remain cute and successful enough if you’re in the mood for a light evening. The movie opens during the fifth birthday party of Will Henry’s (Jemaine Clement) twin daughters. The character is comical and sweet, though a bit melancholy, as he meanders through his home to find the girls’ mother, his long-time girlfriend, Charlie (Stephanie Allynne). It’s no surprise when he finds her in bed with another man. The tale continues one year later.

Will hosts a tiny birthday dinner in his tiny apartment and presents his daughters’ gifts, hand-made kites, with a combination of pride and sadness. Clement does a wonderful job appearing small, emotionally, and physically, despite his large stature. We follow the shy character as he realizes he wants to snap out of his unenthusiastic, self-pitying routine. The first step is spending more time with his daughters. The second is to start dating (and he only goes on one).  The movie is divided here and had the director (James C. Strouse) chosen one of those storylines to focus on, maybe the production would have felt more fluid. Instead, each plotline is underdeveloped and takes a turn towards silly versus heartfelt and resolute.

Will’s ex, Charlie, is controlling, strident and quite unlikable. Her credence is diminished within the first two minutes of her appearing onscreen during an unnecessary nudity gag. So her professions of being such a great mom are overall unrealistic. And on top of that her spastic mannerisms are jarring to the otherwise calm nature of the film. Ultimately, seeking this character’s permission for increased custody didn’t sit well with me. In contrast to Charlie’s flimsy instability, is Diane (Regina Hall), the one-time-bad-date

Will is set up on through his student, Cat (Jessica Williams), whose presence seems to solely be for comedic value, yet she doesn’t have much screen time. This trio is really odd. Diane’s forthright demeanor goes from bitchy to doe-eyed in a matter of moments, and Cat’s supposed admiration for Will as her mentor is forced. He is her graphic novel instructor. Of course he is illustrating his entire life into a book of his own. This profession otherwise is just a means for him to cope and get through his attachment to his ex. Truly, there isn’t really chemistry with any of characters throughout People Places Things.

Clement delivers his lines in his typical dry fashion, naturally. But I could hear the rest of the cast reading the script far too clearly. This flaw made the film feel like a series of skits at times. Funny people are present, but they aren’t up to Clement’s caliber and their behaviors feel overworked or fall completely flat. Clement is the exception because his dry, self-deprecating humor is so familiar (if you’re a Flight of the Concords fan). Unfortunately though, lots of the funny jokes are in the trailer. All that being said, if you enjoy Jemaine Clement, you’ll likely be satisfied with the movie. It has beautiful camera work, fun yet calming at the same time, which is made all the more successful alongside the child-like score, all of which produces a great atmosphere reflecting the main character’s heartbreak and desire to move forward. (– Caitlyn Thompson)

The Leftovers: The Complete First Season

HBO/ Released 10/6/15

Based on the 2011 bestselling novel by Tom Perrotta, The Leftovers is seen primarily through the eyes of police chief Kevin Garvey, played by Justin Theroux, as he experiences life post “the Departure.” After what can only be explained as an instance similar to the biblical rapture, the people of Mapleton, New York, are suddenly shaken to their core as many of their loved ones disappear into thin air. With roughly 140 million people actively missing — 2% of the world’s population — the world starts to question everyone and everything. Will people turn to cynicism, paranoia, and cult-like fanaticism, in order to survive? The eerie and thought-provoking series leaves viewers riveted, second-guessing theories from episode to episode.

Includes the episodes:

• Pilot: The police chief faces struggles in both his personal and professional life, as the third anniversary of the departure approaches.

• Penguin One, Us Zero: Kevin goes to see a therapist, after he has some unsettling encounters. Meg makes a decision about her future.

• Two Boats and a Helicopter: Reverend Jamison is struggling with people referring to the departed as heroes.

• B.J. and the A.C.: A holiday display goes missing, sending Kevin scurrying to find out who is responsible. Tom and Christine run into trouble at a hosp ital and on the road.

• Gladys: Laurie’s resolve is put to the test in the wake of a hate crime. After his initiatives to keep the peace in Mapleton fall short, Kev in turns down an offer to rid the town of its problems.

• Guest: Nora goes to New York for the second annual Departure Related Occupations and Practices conference, but discovers that someone else has her ID badge…

• Solace for Tired Feet: After learning his father has escaped the psychiatric hospital, Kevin orders an APB to track him down. Jill attempts to break an endurance record.

• Cairo: Kevin fears he’s losing touch with reality after inexplicably finding himself in a difficult situation involving Patti Levin, a lead er of the Guilty Remnant.

• The Garveys at Their Best: Kevin tries to suppress his bad habits while tracking down a marauding deer in Mapleton. Laurie receives not-unexpected news amidst a rising sense of foreboding.

• The Prodigal Son Returns: An unexpected ally helps Kevin get out of a jam near the town of Cairo. Meanwhile, an elaborate Memorial Day initiative by the Guilty Remnant plunges Mapleton into chaos.

Little House on the Prairie: Season 7

Lionsgate/ Released 10/6/15

In season seven of this timeless series, change is in the air! It’s wedding bells and a baby on the way for Laura and Almanzo. Adam’s sight returns, and he and Mary open a law practice. Laura begins teaching in Walnut Grove; Nellie’s pregnancy ignites a family disagreement; and Albert’s love for Sylvia stirs rumors. The townsmen fight for equal property rights, and the Ingalls consider adoption.

Little House on the Prairie: The Complete Series Deluxe Remastered Edition Gift Set

Lionsgate/ Released 10/6/15

Completely uncut and remastered, this 48-disc set features all nine seasons and is packed with eight hours of bonus material, including the 96-minute original pilot movie, a cast screen test with Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert, the six-part “The ‘Little House’ Phenomenon” documentary that takes a historical look back at the acclaimed series and three movie specials.

Manglehorn

IFC / Released 10/6/15

Reclusive small town locksmith A.J. Manglehorn (Academy Award winner Al Pacino) has never quite recovered from losing the love of his life, Clara. Fixated on her memory, he feels closer to his beloved cat than the people around him and prefers to find comfort in his work and daily routine. Still, he forges on with his tenuous human connections, maintaining intermittent contact with his son (Chris Messina), taking misplaced pride in a former protg gone astray (filmmaker Harmony Korine), and establishing a cautious friendship with a kindhearted woman from the local bank (Academy Award winner Holly Hunter). As this solitary man approaches the possibility of new love, he finds himself at a crossroads between staying mired in the past and embracing the present.

Instilled with director David Gordon Green’s unique brand of eccentricity and anchored by a remarkably rich, understated performance from Pacino, Manglehorn is a movingly humanistic portrait of a man rendered with unsentimental simplicity and idiosyncratic humor. Extras include trailer.

Mission: Impossible – The Original TV Series

Paramount / Released 10/6/15

The original TV action drama centering on the activities of The I.M.F. (Impossible Missions Force), an elite covert operations unit carries out highly sensitive missions subject to official denial in the event of failure, death or capture. The inspired cast, fast-moving plots, neat gadgets, pre-recorded tapes that self-destruct – all these elements made this brilliant show one of television’s crowning achievements. The cast includes Peter Graves, Barbara Bain, Greg Morris, Peter Lupus, Martin Landau, Leonard Nimoy, Lesley Ann Warren, Lynda Day George and Steven Hill.

Guest stars included Wally Cox, Fritz Weaver, Mary Ann Mobley, Mark Lenard, George Takei, Lloyd Bridges, Sid Haig, John Colicos, Carroll O’Connor, Ricardo Montalban, William Schallert, Pat Hingle, Sorrell Booke, Eartha Kitt, Richard Anderson,Dan O’Herlihy,Pernell Roberts, Brock Peters, Darren McGavin, Vincent Gardenia, Nicholas Colasanto, Anthony Zerbe, Paul Winfield, Victor French, Sugar Ray Robinson, Vic Tayback, George Gaynes, Fernando Lamas, John Vernon, Edward Asner, Larry Linville, Martin Sheen, Lee Meriwether, Joe E. Tata, Joan Collins, Henry Silva, John Aniston, Gregory Sierra, Barry Williams, Jessica Walter, Cicely Tyson, John Schuck, Sal Mineo, Donald Moffat, Sam Elliott, Joe Morton, Marion Ross, James Hong, Tom Bosley, William Shatner, Joe Don Baker, Billy Dee Williams, Demond Wilson, Kevin McCarthy, Ed Flanders, Alex Rocco, Tyne Daly, Richard Jaeckel, Charles Napier, Daniel J. Travanti, James Sikking, Geoffrey Lewis, Bert Convy, Robert Conrad, Vic Morrow, Van Williams, Paul Gleason, Robert Goulet, Ray Walston, Michael Conrad,Michael Ansara, Robert Reed, Murray Hamilton, Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, Gary Lockwood, Herbert Jefferson Jr., Claude Akins, and Dean Stockwell.

Mission: Impossible not only captures the nation’s intrigue with espionage in a Cold War / 007 global setting, but also remains one of television’s most entertaining series that holds up to modern audiences today. Highly Recommended.

Home Alone Ultimate Collector’s Edition

20th Century Fox / Released 10/6/15

Celebrate 25 years of holiday hijinks and hilarity with the ultimate Home Alone collection.

Featuring a superstar cast lead by Macaulay Culkin in the role that made him an international household name, relive every pratfall and prank with Catherine O’Hara, John Heard, John Candy, Joe Pesci, and Daniel Stern. The franchise begins as eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Culkin) has become the man of the house, overnight! Accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation, Kevin gets busy decorating the house for the holidays. But he’s not decking the halls with tinsel and holly. Two bumbling burglars are trying to break in, and Kevin’s rigging a bewildering battery of booby traps to welcome them!

Starting with the original blockbuster hit comedy starring Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, and Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister – an adorable eight-year-old determined to defend his house against burglars using an outrageous array of ingenious booby traps. Then gather the whole family for a fun-filled Home Alone marathon with 4 side-splitting sequels packed with even more techno-gadgets, awesome ambushes and crime-stopping wizardry!.

This must have gift set features all five films packaged together for the first time in a collectible paint can full of limited edition movie memorabilia that will keep the whole family laughing including a McCallister Christmas ornament, Kevin’s battle plan for the Wet Bandits, his tarantula and a wanted poster of the thieves – Harry (Joe Pesci) and Marv (Daniel Stern) – and more.

Includes:

Home Alone: When Kevin’s family left for vacation, they forgot one minor detail: Kevin! Eight-year-old Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) has become the man of the house, overnight! Accidentally left behind when his family rushes off on a Christmas vacation, Kevin gets busy decorating the house for the holidays. But he’s not decking the halls with tinsel and holly. Two bumbling burglars are trying to break in, and Kevin’s rigging a bewildering battery of booby traps to welcome them!

Home Alone 2: Lost In New York: Kevin McCallister (Macaulay Culkin) is back! But this time he’s in New York City – with enough cash and credit cards to turn the Big Apple into his own playground! But Kevin won’t be alone for long. The notorious Wet Bandits, Harry and Marv (Joe Pesci and Daniel Stem), still smarting from their last encounter with Kevin, are bound for New York too, plotting a huge holiday heist. Kevin’s ready to welcome them with a battery of booby traps the bumbling bandits will never forget!

Home Alone 3: The U.S. Air Force has a new secret weapon – and he’s only eight years old! A band of international crooks has hidden a military computer chip inside a toy car, but an airport mix-up lands it in the hands of whiz-kid Alex Pruitt (Alex D. Linz) who’s home alone with the chicken pox in a quiet Chicago suburb. When the criminals zero in on Alex’s house with their high-tech gadgetry, madness and mayhem kick into high gear as the pint-sized hero defends himself against the bumbling bad guys – armed with an outrageous array of ambushes and booby traps!

Home Alone: Taking Back the House: It’s tough being nine. Tougher still is spending Christmas with dad (Jason Beghe) at his new girlfriend Natalie’s (Joanna Going) mansion even though it’s loaded with all the techno-gadgets any kid could hope for! But this Christmas, Kevin (Michael Weinberg) is really in hot water again, and so are Marv (French Stewart) and his sidekick (Missi Pyle), who are trying to rob Natalie’s house! With funnier and more high-tech, crime-stopping wizardry at his disposal than ever, Kevin just might finally put these crooks on ice forever and keep his parents together while he’s at it in this uplifting, hilarious comedy the whole family is sure to love!

Home Alone: The Holiday Heist: In this hilarious holiday tale for all ages, 10-year-old Finn Baxter (Christian Martyn) thinks his family’s new house in Maine is haunted – but the truth might be even scarier! A trio of thieves (led by Malcolm McDowell) is after a priceless painting hidden in a secret room by the previous owner. So when Finn and his sister (Jodelle Ferland) find themselves home alone, Finn rigs up an elaborate array of techno-gadgets and booby traps to protect his pad from the bumbling criminals trying to break in. It’s a delightful comedy caper that will steal your heart again and again!

Reign: The Complete Second Season

Warner Bros. / Released 10/6/15

It’s not easy being queen! As France surges toward chaos, the honeymoon’s afterglow fades quickly for the newly crowned king and queen, Francis and Mary. Tensions over the Black Death, famine, shifting alliances and religious turmoil must be resolved quickly in order to present a united front and prevent peasant uprisings. But an illegitimate son, murder, blackmail and rape threaten to divide the devotions of the ruling couple, and separation seems inevitable. Pressure mounts for news of a royal heir, with murderous betrayals and treason occurring within the castle’s very walls. Young Mary and Francis struggle to keep calm heads and do what’s best for the kingdom, their families and their hearts in the thrilling, passionate second season. Extras include featurette and deleted scenes.

Includes the episodes:

• The Plague: Francis and Mary are plummeted into chaos after the Black Plague ravages the land and creeps inside the castle, threatening lives and the stability of their new rule.

• Drawn And Quartered: In the aftermath of the plague, a powerful lord (guest star Craig Parker) discovers that Mary was responsible for the death of his son and demands vengeance, testing the loyalties of Mary, Francis and Catherine.

• Coronation: With France in a state of famine, as well as religious and political unrest, Mary (Adelaide Kane) looks for a way to feed the people, risking the wrath of a vengeful Lord Narcisse (guest star Craig Parker).

• The Lamb And The Slaughter: When a shepherd is attacked by shadowy riders in the night, Bash (Torrance Coombs) and Lord Conde (Sean Teale) investigate what may be the unrest of angry spirits or the beginnings of a religious war.

• Blood For Blood: Tensions between Protestants and Catholics escalate when bloodshed at a Protestant service causes an already concerned Mary and Francis to intervene on the eve of Greer’s wedding.

• Three Queens: Upon encountering a mob of angry peasants, Queens Mary and Catherine find themselves concealing their true identities after being forced to abandon their carriage and escape into the woods.

• The Prince of The Blood: Young, reckless and provocative Princess Claude (guest star Rose Williams) makes a surprise visit home, torturing her already haunted mother, Catherine.

• Terror Of The Faithful: Tensions escalate between Mary and Francis when Vatican inquisitors perform barbaric acts on anyone suspected of being a Protestant.

• Acts Of War: With a holiday celebration around the corner, Bash (Torrance Coombs) uncovers what could be the answer to Francis (Toby Regbo) finally escaping the oppressive thumb of Lord Narcisse (Craig Parker), and the two formulate a daring plan.

• Mercy: In the aftermath of an attack on the castle, a blood-thirsty Francis makes a startling decision that will forever change his rule as the King of France, causing him to track the missing Narcisse (Craig Parker) with a newfound lust for revenge.

• Getaway: Mary takes action to save Conde (Sean Teale) when she learns the Vatican is hunting him for bearing the branded mark of the Dark Riders.

• Banished: Mary finds out the truth from Greer about rumors going around Court, forcing Mary to do something she never thought possible.

• Sins Of The Past: As the castle prepares for the Winter’s Ease Feast, King Antoine (guest star Ben Aldridge) of Navarre reveals to Francis and Mary England’s plan for revenge against France.

• The End Of Mourning: As Mary and Francis investigate who was behind the poisoning of King Henry (Alan Van Sprang), they unearth secrets of the past which force Mary to confront her feelings for Conde as she attempts to move forward.

• Forbidden: Mary’s mother (guest star Amy Brenneman) returns to advise Mary that her throne is in jeopardy. Mary makes a shocking proposition to Conde, along with a bold move to reclaim her throne.

• Tasting Revenge: When King Antoine (guest star Ben Aldridge) threatens to tell Francis (Toby Regbo) of Mary (Adelaide Kane) and Conde’s (Sean Teale) evolving relationship, Francis makes a shocking move.

• Tempting Fate: When Catherine becomes suspicious that Mary and Conde are having an affair, Mary risks Catherine discovering just how deep her betrayal goes.

• Reversal Of Fortune: While Francis’ life hangs in the balance, Mary becomes the temporary leader of France, which makes her realize she can use her newfound power to save Scotland.

• Abandoned: Mary, with the threat of England looming, aligns herself with France and thus, the ailing Francis.

• Fugitive: Mary goes to extremes to halt Francis from his quest to catch Conde at any cost.

• The Siege: As troops are about to descend on the castle, Mary and Francis must put aside their differences to determine the extent of Conde’s betrayal.

• Burn: Mary risks everything to take down Conde, even as Francis believes she is turning against France.

Road Hard

Starz/Anchor Bay / Released 10/6/15

After his movie and television career has run dry, Bruce Madsen (Adam Carolla) is forced to go back on the road playing one dingy comedy club after another, spending endless nights in budget hotel rooms and always flying coach. Amidst trying to revitalize his career, rekindle his love life and put his daughter through college, Bruce knows one thing for sure – he must get off the road. Jay Mohr, David Koechner, David Alan Grier, Phil Rosenthal, Larry Miller, Illeana Douglas, Diane Farr, Dana Gould and Howie Mandel co-star in this dark comedy. Extras include promo, outtakes, making of and BTS preview.

South Park: The Complete Eighteenth Season

Paramount / Released 10/6/15

Join Cartman, Kenny, Stan and Kyle as they get lost in virtual reality, go underground with Cock Magic, uncover the shocking truth about a music superstar, and reach transcendence with Cartman BRAAAH! Top that with some gluten-free Creator Commentary and never-before-seen deleted scenes, and you’ve got a box set even more legendary than Craig’s Mom’s bush.

Includes the episodes:

• Go Fund Yourself: The boys name their new start-up company, The Washington Redskins.

• Gluten Free Ebola: South Park goes gluten free.

• The Cissy: Randy is harboring a giant secret and the pressure is getting to him. Meanwhile, Cartman calls Stan a cissy.

• Handicar: Timmy’s successful new car service makes him a lot of enemies.

• The Magic Bush: Cartman and Butters get their hands on a drone and take it for a spin around the neighborhood.

• Freemium Isn’t Free: Stan is addicted to the new Terrance and Phillip mobile game.

• Grounded Vindaloop: Butters is convinced he’s living in a virtual reality.

• Cock Magic: There are illegal goings-on in the basement of City Wok.

• #Rehash: Kyle just wants to play video games with his little brother. But, when Ike doesn’t want to play with him anymore, Kyle is afraid that the next generation is passing him by.

• #HappyHolograms: Cartmaan Bra is trending as the country prepares to watch the biggest Holiday Spectacular ever.

We Are Still Here

Dark Sky / Released 10/6/15

After their teenage son is killed in a car crash, Paul and Anne move to the New England countryside to try to start a new life. But the grieving couple unknowingly becomes the prey of a family of vengeful spirits that reside in their new home, and before long they discover that the seemingly peaceful town is hiding a terrifyingly dark secret. Now they must find a way to overcome their sorrow and fight back against both the living and dead as the malicious ghosts threaten to pull their souls – and the soul of their lost son – into hell with them. We Are Still Here is a tense, frightening, and thoroughly haunting ghost story. Extras include commentary, trailers, and behind the scenes.

Last Word: Everybody’s been really pushing the whole “giallo” thing lately. With movies like Berberian Sound Studio and The Strange Colour Of Your Body’s Tears, it’s all anyone thinks about when it comes to 70s Italian horror. That means that poor ol’ Lucio Fulci, as much as people still love him, gets pushed to the side by folks like Dario Argento.

Fulci made his share of giallo films, but his true calling was pure, unadulterated, grisly, nonsensical gore. In fact, really, that was his ONLY calling. His movies tended to have no narrative flow, the acting was terrible and some of the direction was hilarious. But that gore. Oh my god, the gore. I could watch The Beyond and Zombie over and over again because, even though that girl had no reason to be laying under the vat of acid, it’s an awful bliss when it pours out all over her face.

We Are Still Here is the homage to Fulci that we’ve all been waiting for. It’s not quite as nonsensical as some of his films, but it’s close at times. (It’s also more House By The Cemetery than Beyond/Zombie, but I won’t fault it for that.) It’s about a couple who move into an old house in a small town in order to get past the death of their son. They invite the parents of their son’s former roommate over for a weekend. What none of them know is that the house has a horrible, horrible secret. But then, maybe, so does the town.

Shades of HP Lovecraft invade the story as it slowly builds the tension towards a grisly finale that’s nearly as confusing and open-ended as Fulci’s films. I loved every weirdly dubbed-looking minute of it. And you know what made this even more interesting than your typical Hollywood horror film besides the homage aspect? It wasn’t about some hot, young couple! These folks where in the late 40s or early 50s. Their son was in his early 20s. These people were already world weary when they lost him and now they’re just beaten down. If you’re a fan of horror, see this movie. (– Mark Wensel)

What We Did On Our Holiday

Lionsgate/ Released 10/6/15

Oscar nominee Rosamund Pike, David Tennant and Billy Connolly star in this hilarious and uplifting comedy for the whole family. Doug and Abi take their kids on a family vacation. Surrounded by relatives, the kids innocently reveal the ins and outs of their family life and many intimate details about their parents. It’s soon clear that when it comes to keeping a big secret under wraps from the rest of the family, their children are their biggest liability. Extras include commentary, featurettes, and deleted scenes.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Complete First & Second Seasons

Nickelodeon/ Released 10/6/15

From rising out of their hidden lair under New York City to traveling to new realms and otherworldly dimensions, from making new allies to facing off against their most formidable foes, this collection takes the ninjutsu action to new rooftop heights. The cast includes Sean Astin, Jason Biggs, Greg Cipes, Rob Paulsen, Mae Whitman, Kevin Michael Richardson, Hoon Lee and Nolan North. Guest voices include Dominic Catrambone, Brian Bloom, Lewis Black, Clancy Brown, Phil LaMarr, Jeffrey Combs, Frank Welker, Kelly Hu, Cassandra Peterson, Roseanne Barr, Josh Peck, Corey Feldman , Kate Micucci, Robert Forster, Paul Reubens, Danny Trejo, John DiMaggio, Dominic Catrambone, J.B. Smoove, and Gilbert Gottfried.

Includes the episodes:

• Rise of the Turtles, Part I: On their very first night on the surface, the turtles witness a young girl named April O’Neil and her father being kidnapped by a group of people who call themselves the Kraang.

• Rise of the Turtles, Part II: The turtles try to come up with a plan to rescue April and her father while also going up against a mutated monster called Snakeweed.

• Turtle Temper: When a video surfaces showing the Turtles topside, Master Splinter worries that their secrecy will be compromised. Meanwhile, Raphael struggles to keep his anger problems in check.

• New Friend, Old Enemy: Michelangelo accidentally befriends Chris Bradford, a henchmen who’s secretly working for Shredder!
  

• I Think His Name is Baxter Stockman: The Turtles meet a devious inventor named Baxter Stockman. But is this man all that he appears to be?

• Metalhead: Chaos ensues when Donatello creates Metalhead, a robotic turtle to fight alongside the rest of the group.

• Monkey Brains: While searching for a missing scientist, Donnie and April find a psychic monkey instead.

• Never Say Xever: Leonardo struggles with his past when an old enemy, Xever, comes back to attack a noodle shop.

• The Gauntlet: The Turtles spring into action when April receives a distressing phone call from her father. Now it’s up to the team to stop the Kraang from detonating a bomb in the city.

• Panic in the Sewers: When their home is attacked by Bradford, the Turtles must step up and defend the only home they’ve ever known.

• Mousers Attack!: The Turtles must divide and conquer when the Purple Dragons and Baxter Stockman team up to introduce a new threat, the mechanical Mousers.

• It Came From The Depths: Michelangelo befriends an unstable mutant alligator who possesses a strange piece of Kraang technology, but the other Turtles aren’t sure whether “Leatherhead” is a friend or a foe.

• I, Monster: The Turtles have their hands full when a new foe named The Rat King plans on taking over New York City. Unfortunately, The Rat King is also planning on controlling Splinter’s mind.

• New Girl In Town: While Raphael takes a turn leading the group, Leonardo ventures elsewhere and meets Karai, a female ninja with dark secrets.

• The Alien Agenda: When April’s science project attracts the Kraang’s attention, the turtles must step in to save the day.

• The Pulverizer: The Turtles come face to face with a wannabe hero known as The Pulverizer.

• TCRI: The Turtles go all out to stop the Kraang invasion for a final time.

• Cockroach Terminator: While trying to foil a Kraang invasion plot to drill into the Earth’s core, Donatello’s spy cockroach becomes accidentally mutated. When the turtles find it, they find the Spy-Roach has a new target, Raphael.

• Baxter’s Gambit: Baxter Stockman traps the Turtles in a maze with Fishface and Dogpound.

• Enemy of My Enemy: The Turtles form an alliance with Karai to stop the Kraang’s newest invasion plans. But can they really trust her?

• Karai’s Vendetta: The turtles must infiltrate an underwater base the Kraang have made that is being used to contaminate the world’s water supply.

• The Pulverizer Returns!: The Turtles must team up with the Pulverizer after the Shredder threatens to create a team of mutants to take on the Turtles.

• Parasitica: Michelangelo has no choice but to fight his own brothers when they all fall under the control of a parasitic wasp.

• Operation: Break Out: Donatello tries to break Kirby O’Neil out of a secret Kraang prison. That’s easier said than done, however, when Donnie realizes that there’s a dangerous mutant inside the prison as well.

• Booyaka-Showdown, Part 1: The turtles get ready for one big final battle against the Kraang after finding out that they have a huge plan for world domination which has something to do with April.

• Showdown, Part 2: The Turtles must save April and stop The Kraang from destroying Earth with their new destructive weapon, The Technodrome.

• The Mutation Situation: When the Turtles discover the Kraang have returned, they board a stealth cargo ship containing hundreds of mutagen canisters. But when the plan goes wrong, the consequences put their friendship with April at risk.

• Invasion of the Squirrelanoids: Chaos ensues in the lair when a mutant squirrel transforms and multiplies into dangerous Squirrelanoids.

• Follow the Leader: When the Turtles face Shredder’s newest threat, an army of Robot Foot Soldiers, Karai captures Leonardo and forces him to do battle with these new and improved ninjas that can adapt to his every move.

• Mutagen Man Unleashed: Mutagen Man (the mutant version of the Pulverizer) escapes Donatello’s lab and has his eyes set on April.

• Mikey Gets Shellacne: Michelangelo is tired of being the “runt of the litter.” But when he fools around with some mutagen, he gets a dangerous infection that is mutating out of control.

• Target: April O’Neil: April still refuses to have anything to do with the turtles. However, an attack by the Foot clan may force her to change her mind.

• Slash and Destroy: Raphael’s pet turtle, Spike, is exposed to mutagen and changes into a hulking brute. He then sets out on a vendetta against Raph’s brothers.
  

• The Good, The Bad, And Casey Jones: Casey accidentally follows Raphael to the sewer lair and soon discovers the turtles and learns about April’s friendship with them. But that’s the least of his problems when a gang of foot bots invade the lair and he must help the turtles get rid of them.

• The Kraang Conspiracy: April and the Turtles learn from a mysterious detective why The Kraang are on Earth and what their true intentions with April are.

• Fungus Humungous: The Turtles, April, and Casey Jones experience their worst fears when they are exposed to toxic spores from mutated fungus in the sewers.

• Metalhead Rewired: When Donatello’s brothers question Metalhead’s newly advanced A.I., Donnie must decide if he can truly trust his mechanical friend in battle. 

• Of Rats and Men: The Rat King returns, forcing Splinter to face his fears and battle his rival.

• Wormquake!: The turtles must stop the Kraang from unleashing a giant mutated worm on the city. Meanwhile, Shredder hires a new solider, an assassin who goes by the name of Tiger Claw, to take out the turtles.

• Mazes & Mutants: The Turtles take a break from their mutagen hunt to play a board game called Mazes and Mutants. Until a sparrow wizard named Sir Malachi brings their game to life. 

• The Lonely Mutation of Baxter Stockman: When Donnie is finally able to create a Retro-Mutagen to cure April’s father, the Turtles must risk losing it when a now mutated Baxter Stockman kidnaps April and holds her for ransom.

• Newtralized!: Raphael begins to question Casey’s ability to help the Turtles in battle when they learn that Slash has joined forces with The Newtralizer.

• Pizza Face: Mikey’s brothers don’t believe him when he says that citizens are turning into zombies because of living pizzas.
  

• The Wrath of Tiger Claw: Tiger Claw returns to New York, and is out for revenge against the Turtles.

• The Legend of the Kuro Kabuto: While attempting to rescue Karai, the Turtles are caught up in the middle of a master thief’s plan to steal Shredder’s helmet.

• Plan 10: A Kraang mind-swapping machine becomes damaged during a Turtles rescue attempt, causing one of the Turtle’s minds to become switched with a Kraang.

• Vengeance Is Mine: Leonardo conducts one final attempt to rescue Karai, against Splinter’s wishes.

• A Chinatown Ghost Story: Donnie’s jealousy intensifies as April and Casey get closer, and then April is abducted by a malicious spirit seeking to deplete her powers.

• Into Dimension X!: When The Turtles discover Leatherhead is trapped in Dimension X, Mikey makes a daring attempt to rescue him solo.

• The Invasion Part 1: The Shredder forms a deadly alliance with The Kraang to assist in the destruction of Splinter, The Turtles, and New York City.

• The Invasion Part 2: The Kraang invasion is in full effect, and The Turtles fear there is no way to stop it.

Tremors 5: Bloodlines

Univeral / Released 10/6/15

The stakes are raised for survivalist, Burt Gummer (Michael Gross) in his most dangerous monster hunt yet. When Gummer’s hired to capture a deadly Ass-blaster terrorizing South Africa, he and his new sidekick Travis Welker (Jamie Kennedy) engage in a battle of survival against the fiercely aggressive Ass-blasters and Graboids. Discovering the monsters have evolved into even more lethal creatures, their killer mission takes on a whole new level of unseen terror–far more than they bargained for.  Extras include featurette, outtakes, deleted and extended scenes.

Tut

Paramount/ Released 10/6/15

Thrust into power after the murder of his father, King Tutankhamun is forced to marry his strong-willed, ambitious sister in order to maintain the dynasty. In love with a commoner, he struggles to protect her from the jealous queen. And although Tut rules as Pharaoh, he is exploited by a shrewd Grand Vizier, a ruthless military General and a scheming High Priest who look down on him as someone they can control. But through unexpected twists and turns, Tut strives to overcome the odds, rising from a manipulated prince into an unlikely hero who triumphs over his enemies both from within and without leading his kingdom to glory. Extras include featurettes.

Vikings: The Complete Third Season

20th Century Fox / Released 10/6/15

Prepare to raid and wage battle once again, in an ancient kingdom dominated by vengeance, lust and thrilling conquest, in Season 3 of Vikings. The gripping family saga of Ragnar, Rollo, Lagertha and Bjorn continues as loyalties are questioned and bonds of blood are tested. Now king of his people, Ragnar remains a restless wanderer, leading his band of Norse warriors on epic adventures from the shores of Essex to the mythical city of Paris. But stunning betrayals and hidden dangers will test Ragnar’s courage and strength like never before. Extras include both the Original and the Extended Version of all 10 Episodes, featurettes, interactive exploration and commentary.

Includes the episodes:

• Mercenary: Ragnar and Lagertha’s fleets depart Kattegat once more for Wessex but this time they bring settlers. 

• The Wanderer: Lagertha and Athelstan help to set up the Viking settlement; a mysterious wanderer turns up. 

• Warrior’s Fate: King Ecbert visits the developing Viking settlement as the first harvest is sown. 

• Scarred: There is bitterness in the camp, Floki is angry over the alliance with Ecbert. 

• The Usurper: The fleet returns to Kattegat to discover tragic circumstances await. 

• Born Again: Preparations for the Paris raid pick up speed, and Rollo thinks about the Seer’s prophecy. 

• Paris: The Viking fleet causes panic in Paris; the Emperor Charles declares he will remain in the city. 

• To the Gates!: The Viking army sets out and Paris goes into lockdown as the army prepares the defense. 

• Breaking Point: The Vikings hit Paris with a second assault; Emperor Charles has to make a difficult decision. 

• The Dead: With one last chance to take Paris, Ragnar and his Vikings troops take a daring chance. Ragnar asks Bjorn for a favor that could change the course of Viking history.