New Releases (Across the Board):
Afternoon Delight – Former Six Feet Under and United States of Tara EP/Writer breaks into film with this com-dram about a bored housewife (the always great Kathryn Hahn) shaking her world up when she meets a stripper played by Juno Temple.
Fists of Legend – Not to be confused with the 1994 HK action masterpiece, this films follows a group of Korean buddies who are down on their luck, but join together to fight on a television reality show.
Hellbenders 3D – From the creator of The Burrowers (JT Petty) comes this fun comedy horror mix-up about a team of catholic exorcists who dance on the sinners side of God to do battle with the darkest elements hell has to offer. Stars Clifton Collins Jr., Clancy Brown, Andre Royo and Dan Fogler.
On the Job – I haven’t heard of this one before, but it looks neat as hell. This Filipino film follows a true-life scandal, where dangerous inmates where let out of prison on work release, but the jobs they did was to murder political opponents on behalf of government and military leaders who didn’t want to get their hands dirty.
Zaytoun – Stephen Dorff stars as an Israeli pilot who is downed in Beirut during the 1982 Lebanon War. He makes friends with a young Palestinian boy who wants the pilot to take him back to Israel so he can visit his homeland on behalf of his dead father and grandfather and to plan a tree his family has kept during their displacement. DVD only release, but it’s actually quite good.
Blu-ray Library Reissues:
Darkman: Collector’s Edition – Sam Raimi’s quirky horror-action-superhero film finally get a good polish from Scream Factory.
Fantastic Mr. Fox – Criterion continues to work hard putting spine numbers on Wes Anderson’s films. This one is a delight.
Foreign Correspondent – Criterion ALSO continues to add spine numbers to Alfred Hitchcock films – this one marks Hitch’s foray into Hollywood filmmaking and is a masterpiece in and of itself.
Jean Rollin: The Vampire Films – If you didn’t pick them up piecemeal, here’s a nice box set featuring Rape of the Vampire, Nude Vampire, Shiver of the Vampires and Requiem For a Vampire.
TV On DVD (& Blu-ray):
Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Epic Series – Ten Disc Rerelease of the original series with commentary and deleted scenes. Sadly, not an American release of the German Blu-ray set reviewed by Jeff Kleist a few weeks ago – this one is DVD only.
Game of Thrones: The Complete Third Season – Look, I pre-bought it. You’re gonna buy it. We’re all buying it.
Nurse Jackie: Season Five – Haven’t gotten into this show. But here it is on Blu, so...
Come back next week and we’ll look at an animated adventurer and his jive talking dog, Sandra in space, Thor battling the dark and a whole slew of Criterions.
Keep spinnin’ those discs,
– Todd Doogan