Drowning by Numbers [4K UHD, Severin Films]
What’s it? A Wes Anderson movie for individuals who wish to fuck.
Why see it? Peter Greenaway makes very particular movies, ones designed to enchantment to himself at the start. Fortunately, they typically enchantment to a few of us pervy weirdos too. This late 80s function is a lighter piece from him whereas nonetheless that includes a number of dying and debauchery within the type of characters celebrating themselves, intercourse, and the occasional pressured drowning. Greenaway captures lovely imagery as typically as he does the grotesque, and the eye to element, symmetry, and shade maintain a degree of visible engagement that accentuates the character and narrative. Right here it’s a blackly comedian story of ladies offing their husbands, and it’s a unusual, goofy time. Severin’s new 4K UHD highlights all of the pores and skin, bugs, and silliness.
[Extras: Commentary, interviews, featurettes]
The Finest
Cliffhanger [4K UHD, steelbook]
What’s it? A person traumatized by a climbing incident is pressured again into motion.
Why see it? Renny Harlin could also be relegated to churning out direct-to-video motion flicks nowadays, however for a short time there he was crushing it on the large display. This Sylvester Stallone movie is one in every of his greats with its story of heights, falls, and thrill-seeking baddies. Stallone performs an expert climber nonetheless reeling from a lethal fall that claimed a good friend’s life. When a aircraft crashes within the mountains, although, he’s pressured to rise to the event as gun-toting unhealthy guys — together with a implausible John Lithgow — threaten lives with abandon. Locales and set-pieces up the suspense and thrills, and all of it appears fairly nice. The brand new 4K UHD ups the wonder and element much more.
[Extras: Deleted scenes, commentaries, featurettes, deleted scenes]
Danza Macabra: Quantity One – The Italian Gothic Assortment [Severin Films]
What’s it? 4 Italian chillers from 1964 to 1971.
Why see it? The Monster of the Opera sees a dance troupe terrorized by a vampire, The Seventh Grave provides Agatha Christie an Italian spin, Scream of the Demon Lover pairs Jane Eyre with Frankenstein, and Woman Frankenstein delivers simply what the title guarantees. It’d be pushing to say that anybody of those movies is a misplaced gem, however mixed — particularly introduced collectively in a slick field set — they make for a potent foursome. The set’s spotlight is the fourth entry because it presents a lurid, debaucherous, and color-filled nightmare of biology and gender norms, and the disc options essentially the most intensive extras too. All 4 are well worth the time of style followers, although, as they provide a glance into European horrors which have but to obtain their due. Plus, quantity one guarantees extra to return…
[Extras: New 2K scans, commentaries, interviews, video essays]
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves [4K UHD]
What’s it? A medieval comedy discovering enjoyable and respect in Gary Gygax’s creativeness.
Why see it? Y’all dropped the ball on this one. The makers of Sport Evening delivered a legitimately enjoyable time right here whereas nonetheless respecting the supply materials — not a simple feat as the sport is a nerd’s paradise — and this actually ought to have kicked off a franchise. Chris Pine heads up the ensemble alongside Michelle Rodriguez, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant, and others, and everybody does nice work committing to the bit and having a blast. Motion scenes are good enjoyable, visible results are artistic, and the entire is simply an entertaining romp in a magical world. Particular shout out to Grant who’s his standard perfection because the villain.
[Extras: Deleted scenes, featurettes, gag reel]
The Final Starfighter [4K UHD, Arrow Video]
What’s it? A younger man is recruited to assist out in an intergalactic struggle.
Why see it? This mid 80s motion/sci-fi journey might not have introduced within the huge bucks, nevertheless it’s no much less beloved 4 a long time later. Lance Visitor takes lead and performs an important everyman instantly thrown right into a wild journey involving aliens, spaceships, a villainous antagonist, and extra. It’s nice enjoyable and a implausible household movie delivering heat laughs and explosive motion. The CG results come courtesy of Commodore Amigas — my childhood gaming machines as my mother and father by no means obtained us model names! — and it’s only a enjoyable, energetic journey. Arrow’s new 4K UHD sees colours and particulars pop whereas retaining depth and grain.
[Extras: Commentaries, interviews, featurettes]
Transformers – Restricted Version Steelbook 6-Film Assortment [4K UHD]
What’s it? A tech demo masterclass.
Why see it? I’m admittedly not the most important fan of the Transformers movies. The primary is okay, I’m a sucker for Darkish of the Moon, and Bumblebee is a breath of recent air, however usually talking they’re simply not for me. So why is that this set below “the perfect” part? Nicely, regardless of my disinterest within the movies themselves, they’re regularly tech marvels that look and sound implausible. Wish to impress somebody together with your audio/video setup? Pop in one in every of these, and also you’re off to the races. The field can be superbly crafted with a magnetic closure housing six particular person steelbooks that includes the movie on 4K UHD and an abundance of particular options on a Blu-ray. (Observe, the movies aren’t on the Blus.) These are the identical transfers and extras from earlier releases, however in case you haven’t picked them up but this assortment is as slick because it comes.
[Extras: Commentaries, deleted scenes, featurettes, interviews]
The Relaxation
65
What’s it? A person fights for survival towards dinosaurs after crash touchdown on an alien planet.
Why see it? The premise appears like the beginning of a easy, easy banger, however what begins effectively rapidly will get a bit slowed down as the person (Adam Driver) finds one other survivor who turns into an emotional surrogate for his personal daughter he left behind. Time spent on that familiar-feeling subplot detracts from the enjoyable the movie ought to in any other case be delivering. And there may be enjoyable right here! How can there not be with dinosaurs rampaging and threatening Driver’s life? However at simply ninety-three minutes, an excessive amount of time is spent on beats that aren’t dinos. The result’s a minor, simply forgettable diversion.
[Extras: Deleted scenes, featurettes]
The Siege
What’s it? An murderer fights for his life.
Why see it? Motion followers may bear in mind a direct-to-video image from a pair years again referred to as Final Man Standing. It stars Daniel Stisen as a wood-cutting dude in a vaguely post-apocalyptic world, and it’s rubbish. Nicely Stisen is again in a completely unrelated motion image, however whereas this one is a little more competently made, Stisen continues to be firing blanks. His muscle tissue are evident, however not like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stisen has zero charisma or persona. That’d be high quality if he had some motion chops, however he’s a boring one on that entrance too. Anyway, in case you disagree with this evaluation of the person’s display presence, then The Siege is now accessible to hire or purchase.
[Extras: Featurette]
Additionally out this week:
The Boy with Inexperienced Hair [Warner Archive], A Good Particular person, The Haunting [4K UHD], Inside, King Solomon’s Mines [Warner Archive], The Evening of the Hunter [4K UHD], The Nutty Professor [4K UHD, Paramount Presents], The Individuals Beneath the Stairs [4K UHD, Scream Factory], Queen Christina [Warner Archive], Spinning Gold, Thelma and Louise [4K UHD, Criterion Collection]
