Welcome back to This Week In Discs where we check out tomorrow’s new releases today!
Youth
What is it? Two old friends reunite at a resort in the Swiss Alps to share memories of the past and hopes for their limited futures. Fred (Michael Caine) is a celebrated conductor being wooed by the British government to perform for the Queen, but as a widower his bigger concern is trying to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Rachel Weisz). Mick (Harvey Keitel) meanwhile is a film director past his prime and trying to bring together a new project in an attempt to get back on top.
Why buy it? More observational character piece than narrative-driven drama, Paulo Sorrentino’s wise and relaxing ode to life is quite possibly 2015’s most beautiful film. Each frame reveals eye-catching visuals in nature, architecture, human motion, or even the simple, occasionally sad visage of Caine or Keitel. The beauty extends beyond the visual though with a score (by David Lang) and soundtrack that evoke mood and memory alongside surreal scenes of human affirmation and a lust for life’s smaller pleasures.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Featurettes]
Creed
What is it? Adonis (Michael B. Jordan) was a troubled youngster prone to fighting, but he got a second chance when the widow of boxing legend Apollo Creed appeared in his life. The boy was the child of one of Apollo’s affairs and bounced around the foster system, but she takes him in knowing that each of them are connected through Apollo. The present day finds Adonis with a secret hobby of undefeated boxing matches south of the border, but knowing the ring is where his heart is he quits his job and heads to Philadelphia with a plan. He wants his father’s best friend and greatest opponent, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone), to train and mentor him towards becoming a champion boxer. The future may be Adonis’ goal, but it’s his past that continually threatens to derail that dream as he struggles to find his own voice — his own purpose — both in and out of the ring.
Why buy it? Creed is a rarity in many ways. Not only is it a sequel that continues the over-riding story even as it creates new blood of its own, but it’s also a film that far surpasses the true sequels that preceded it. Adonis’ story is his own, and as immediately similar as it appears to Rocky’s his challenges and path to victory are unique to his character. Director/co-writer Ryan Coogler (Fruitvale Station) finds a freshness beneath trappings that in many ways have grown stale. Stallone’s Rocky has seen a character arc encompassing nearly an entire life, and the franchise’s last film, Rocky Balboa, brought him to a satisfying ending. Bringing him back to the screen could easily have been seen as unnecessary pandering to give this new film a hook, but instead it — and Stallone — work beautifully to use the weight of Rocky’s character as both a tie to the past and an inspired blueprint for the future.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Featurettes, deleted scenes]
Intruders
What is it? Anna (Beth Riesgraf) hasn’t left her home in nearly a decade. Her father’s death ten years ago left her crippled with agoraphobia, and even stepping onto her front porch is enough to debilitate her. She’s kept busy though caring for her sick older brother, but when he finally succumbs she’s left unsure as to her next move. Her hand is forced after a trio of young men arrive with plans to steal what they’ve heard is a fortune stashed away in the house. Unable to escape, Anna’s only hope is to fight back using her will to survive and an intimate knowledge of the house’s secrets.
Why buy it? Intruders (formerly Shut In) knows the best home invasion thrillers value smart characters on both sides of the front door and delivers the goods with wit, brains, and intriguing story turns. It’s Home Alone for people who think breaking and entering should be punishable by death. The setup makes great use of a characteristic (agoraphobia) that has yet to reach a saturation point, and it succeeds with an intense lead performance, fun story progression, and a terrifically realized single location. The house offers up a world that’s familiar while still being full of surprises, and the live-wire personalities roaming its halls light up the environment with their darkness. It’s entertaining and fun without being overly comedic, and it remains a smart ride through to the end.
[DVD extras: Featurette, commentary]
Jafar Panahi’s Taxi
What is it? Iranian director Jafar Panahi was officially forbidden from filmmaking by his government six years ago, but in that time he’s managed to direct three highly acclaimed films. His latest sees him posing as a taxi cab driver who spends the day picking up a wide variety of Tehran’s citizens, and through a handful of hidden cameras he documents his conversations with them during the drive.
Why rent it? Panahi’s efforts are alone worth praising as he works beneath the power and pressure of a restrictive regime, but the critical response is magnified by the reality that they’re also quite wonderful. Taxi reveals a people and a place that seems foreign to those who only know Iran via the daily news. That said, it should surprise no one that these people are just like us. They have hopes, dreams, fears, and everyday concerns, but perhaps one of the greatest surprises here is the laughter. Panahi finds real joy and humor, and it’s as delightful as it is insightful.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Essay]
The Sinful Dwarf (Severin Films)
What is it? Olaf (Torben Bille) is a little person who together with his mother runs a boarding house that caters to tourists looking for an inexpensive place to bed down for a night or two, but what the visitors don’t know is that these landlords have ulterior motives. The place doubles as a sex-slave training ground, and Olaf finds a new prospect when a young couple moves in unaware of what’s in store for them.
Why buy it? I’m calling this a ‘buy’ but for a very specific audience only. The film is a sleazy, sordid, and disturbing gem guaranteed to leave you squirming whether you’re watching it alone, with friends, or maybe with your own mother. It’s a disturbing romp filled with sex, nudity, and some wildly inappropriate walking stick antics, and you can’t help but laugh nervously as the vile weirdness unfolds before your eyes. I already have Severin’s dvd release, but this new Blu-ray is packed with enough new extras and limited to only 3000 copies, so you’re damn right I’m going to pull an Olaf and double dip.
[Blu-ray extras: Two versions of film, featurettes, lost feature The Blue Balloon, excerpt from Torben Bille porno]
The Boy
What is it? Ted (Jared Breeze) is a young boy who lives with his father (David Morse) at a rundown motel in the American West. As a business it’s falling apart, but as an education the isolation and rotating residents offer Ted a unique opportunity to explore his dark creativity. His impulses magnify when a suspicious man (Rainn Wilson) checks in, and together they head toward confrontation and conflagration.
Why rent it? There’s an unavoidable obviousness to this slow-burn tale of evil that hurts the suspense and drama in various measures, but it survives on the strength of its performances and atmosphere. Breeze gives a terrifically unnerving turn as a boy destined for darkness, and Morse and Wilson both deliver strong support. The location, both the motel and the mountainous region, work beautifully to create a way-station feel as travelers come and go, and even if we know where its headed we’re engaged in the journey.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Featurette]
Childhood’s End
What is it? Aliens arrive in the skies above the Earth, but rather than attack or invade with violence they communicate a desire to make the world a better place. Their actions lead to an end to war, famine, and illness (and employment and taxes…), but their motivations remain a mystery. The alien leader communicates through a human envoy for fifteen years before finally revealing his true form — and then things get really interesting.
Why rent it? Arthur C. Clarke’s classic novel finally gets an adaptation — and his name is utterly absent from the Blu-ray/DVD cover (front and back). It’s probably fitting as much has been changed on its move to the screen. The story basics remain, but there are enough smaller changes here regarding the children who become central to the narrative to affect the story’s tone and intentions. The reveal of the alien’s appearance is still terrific though, and there’s enough of the novel’s DNA remaining that fans will either enjoy it slightly or despise it wholesale.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Deleted scenes]
The Danish Girl
What is it? Gerda (Alicia Vikander) asks her husband, Einar (Eddie Redmayne), to stand in as a model for one of her paintings, and his time in women’s clothing triggers something within. He soon begins wearing them in private, and with Gerda’s blessing he takes strides in public as well. The love and trust between them allows for Einar’s much larger strides into history as a pioneer in the transgender experience.
Why rent it? This isn’t a particularly good movie even if the topic is important and relevant, but it’s difficult pointing a finger of blame in any one direction. Redmayne feels like he’s a trying a bit too hard, and director Tom Hooper does the same, but ultimately the film is made worth a watch by newly minted Academy Award-winner Vikander. It’s a lead performance, despite what the Academy says, and it features the entirety of the film’s humanity and heart. She’s a stunning physical presence, but it’s her performance that stands out as a woman whose love for another transcends her own situation.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Making of]
Don Verdean
What is it? Don Verdean (Sam Rockwell) is a biblical archaeologist who’s built a career on discovering religious artifacts, but his finds of late have been far from inspiring. When a pastor (Danny McBride) hires him to deliver something truly extraordinary Verdean chooses the road most-traveled and lies his ass off. His scam almost immediately lands both of them in hot water.
Why skip it? Director Jared Hess’ films are an acquired taste, and I for one cringe with each subsequent bite. Napoleon Dynamite, Nacho Libre, Gentleman Broncos — these are not good or funny movies. Those of you who disagree will want to give his latest a spin, but for me not even the film’s many knocks on religious frauds were enough to entertain or engage. The jokes and gags just repeatedly fall flat, and while the cast (which also includes Will Forte, Leslie Bibb, and Jemaine Clement) are all amped up the laughs are as fictional and absent as the biblical artifacts.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Featurettes, commentary]
Drunk History: Season 3
What is it? Derek Waters sits down with comedians and actors — some of whom you’ll actually recognize — as they share stories from history about America’s states and cities as well as topics like games, spies, space, and inventors. Re-enactments, featuring more comedians and actors, bring these stories to life. Oh, and they’re teaching us these historical facts while drunk off their asses.
Why rent it? The comedy stays fairly consistent throughout the season with laughs coming from the drunken storytellers as often as they do from the re-enactments, and while some episodes are more laugh out loud funny than others they’re never less than entertaining. The fact that they’re also educational is an unexpected bonus.
[DVD extras: Deleted scenes]
Dudes & Dragons
What is it? An evil wizard (James Marsters) imprisons a helpless princess in an attempt to win her hand, but when she refuses to love him he dispatches a dragon to punish anyone showing public displays of affection. Her only hope is a warrior brave enough and powerful enough to defeat the villain and free her.
Why skip it? It’s necessary to know going in that this is an extremely low budget fantasy film. It’s evident in the casting but even more so in the visual effects department which leave a lot to be desired — having all (or nearly) all of the film shot on a green screen doesn’t help matters either. There are some laughs here, intentional ones, but at nearly two hours this can really only be recommended to hardcore, very forgiving fantasy fans.
[DVD extras: Bloopers, featurettes, deleted scenes]
God’s Club
What is it? Michael Evens (Stephen Baldwin) is a single-parent and a widower who also teaches at a local high school. He decides one day to restart the Bible club that his wife once ran, but he quickly runs into obstacles in the form of other parents with concerns. Will he and his club triumph against these challenges?
Why skip it? Don’t worry, the DVD cover goes ahead and spoils that for you — of course he does. The arguments that are thrown up against the club and its use of public school property are paper thin. That’s not because there aren’t good arguments to be found, but instead it just makes it easier for Baldwin to knock them down with bible quotes and stiff acting. The film sets up a young romance of sorts too between Evens’ daughter and the son of the club’s greatest opponent (Lorenzo Lamas), but it seems a bit misguided in its execution and outcome.
[DVD extras: Featurette, bloopers]
Gog
What is it? A secret underground research laboratory becomes the scene of a tragedy when two of its scientists are killed under mysterious circumstances. Something took control of their experiment with malicious and deadly results. A security expert arrives on-site to investigate and makes a frightening discovery involving artificial intelligence and a pair of highly-capable robots.
Why rent it? This sci-fi thriller was originally released in the ’50s in 3-D, but mishandling of film materials meant only standard 2-D versions were available in the decades following its theatrical opening. The missing elements were discovered half a century later, and after a painstaking restoration the film is once again ready to be viewed as originally intended. The movie itself is a fun little sci-fi flick populated with misguided scientists, murderous robots, and sassy chatter between the sexes, and Kino Lorber’s new Blu-ray offers both versions along with informative special features.
[Blu-ray extras: 3-D/2-D versions, commentary, restoration demo, interview]
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