New to View: June 14
By Bob Bloom
The following Blu-rays and DVDs are being released on Tuesday, June 14, unless otherwise noted:
London Has Fallen (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet)
Details: 2016, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: R, graphic violence, language
The lowdown: Gerard Butler returns as Secret Service agent Mike Banning who, in this sequel, must protect President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) from a terrorist group that already has killed several world leaders who were in London for the funeral of the British prime minister.
Banning is a one-man army, exterminating dozens of inept bad guys while keeping his charge alive.
The movie is explosive, loud and silly, but will appeal to action fans.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English DTS X Master Audio, DTS headphone X, English 2.0 descriptive audio track and Spanish 5.1 DTS digital surround; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and Spanish 2.0 DTS digital surround; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include a look at the making of the film and a behind-the-scenes peek at Butler’s training for his role.
Hello, My Name is Doris (Blu-ray)
Details: 2016, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, language
The lowdown: Sally Field portrays Doris Miller, an older woman, who after a self-help class, sets her sights on John Fremont (Max Greenfield) the new, young art director at the company where she works.
Getting help from the 13-year-old granddaughter of her best friend, Doris begins to use the Internet to learn more about John.
Despite the warnings and disapproval of her friends and family, Doris begins showing up a places frequented by John, following her heart and putting aside common sense.
Field gives a warm and engaging performance that overcomes some of the film’s clichés.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an alternate opening, deleted scenes and a commentary track.
Ballers: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet)
Details: 2015, HBO Home Entertainment
Rated: TV-MA, language, sexual content
The lowdown: This HBO comedy series stars Dwayne Johnson, set in Miami, about a retired football superstar-turned-financial manager who helps other athletes figure out what to do when they take off their uniforms.
The series, which costars Rob Corddry, Omar Miller, Troy Garity and John David Washington, mixes comedy with a few serious issues about the problems ex-jocks have in adapting to the real world and responsibilities once they stop playing.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 16:9 picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and German 5.1 DTS digital surround and Spanish 2.0 DTS digital surround; English SDH, French, Spanish, German, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major bonus feature is a look inside the episodes, featuring cast members and the show’s behind-the-scenes personnel.
Get a Job (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet)
Details: 2016, Lionsgate Home Entertainment
Rated: R, crude and sexual content, nudity, language, drug use
The lowdown: Miles Teller and Anna Kendrick star in this comedy about a pair of millennials whose goal is to become a power couple.
To fulfill their dreams, however, they must find and hold jobs that will take them above entry level.
The two begin a frantic assault on the job market with some hilarious results.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a featurette on the cast, outtakes and video resumes.
The Martian: Extended Edition (Blu-ray + Digital HD)
Release date: June 7
Details: 2015, Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: Unrated & PG-13, language, brief nudity, injury images
The lowdown: Director Ridley Scott adds 10 minutes to this very entertaining movie about an American astronaut stranded on the Red Planet after a storm forces his crew mates to abandon the planet without him.
Matt Damon is most enjoyable as the astronaut with a never-say-die attitude who uses his brain to survive until a rescue mission can be mounted.
The movie, nominated for seven Academy Awards, was one of the best films of 2015, and the additional footage takes you deeper inside the film.
The set features the theatrical release as well as the extended cut.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 audio descriptive track and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette, a commentary track with Scott and others, two featurettes on NASA’s planned trip to Mars, a look at what it would be like living on Mars and beyond, a look at the science of the movie, deleted scenes, a gag reel, a featurette on Ares III and five Ares mission videos.
Dark Passage (Blu-ray)
Release date: May 24
Details: 1947, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall star in this film noir thriller about an escaped convict framed for murder and the woman who believes in his innocence.
One of the film’s highlights is the San Francisco locations used by director Delmar Daves.
The film co-stars Agnes Moorehead as an evil and vindictive woman who enjoys the unhappiness of others.
The Blu-ray is a Warner Archive Collection release that can be found at www.wbshop.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural and French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital monaural; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: A featurette, “Hold Your Breath and Cross Your Fingers,” and a Bugs Bunny cartoon comprise the major bonus attractions.
Gridlocked (Blu-ray)
Details: 2016, Magnolia Home Entertainment
Rated: R, language, graphic violence
The lowdown: Dominic Purcell (“Legends of Tomorrow,” “Prison Break”) stars in this cop thriller about a former NYPD SWAT leader who, after being wounded, is forced to babysit a spoiled and hard-living celebrity who has been sentenced to a mandatory ride-along as part of his probation.
As is the formula in such films, the police training facility where the mismatched duo land, comes under attack by a team of deadly mercenaries.
Now the cop, celebrity and other survivors must defend themselves to stay alive.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include a making of featurette, a look inside the action, deleted scenes and a blooper reel.
“Nikkatsu Diamond Guys Vol. 2” (Blu-ray + DVD)
Details: 1960-65, Arrow Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: More genre features are included in this set that offers films from one of Japan’s oldest movie studios.
The set spotlights three movies: “Tokyo Mighty Guy,” starring Akira Kobayashi as a chef who opens a restaurant in the busy Ginza district that brings him women and trouble; “Danger Pays” stars Jo Shishido in a feature about the heist of one billion yen and the various people trying to get the stash; and “Murder Unincorporated” with Shishido in a wild tale about an assassination agency that highlights some rather peculiar killing tactics.
These movies are fun, especially for those just dipping their toes into discovering older releases of Japanese cinema.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition; Japanese stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include video discussions about the movies, promotional galleries and a booklet with essays about the films.
James A. Fitzpatrick Traveltalks: Volume 1 (DVD-R)
Release date: May 24
Details: 1930s-‘40s, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Decades ago, the movie-going experience was comprised of a complete menu of offerings — a cartoon, previews of coming attractions, a newsreel and the feature film — or, perhaps, a double feature.
Also included were short subjects, such as MGM’s “Crime Does Not Pay” series or “James A. Fitzpatrick Travel Talks,” which took people around the world, showing them sights they would probably never see on their own.
This three-volume set features 60 of these shorts made by Fitzpatrick in such exotic locations as Rio de Janeiro, Hong Kong, Java, Ceylon, Alaska, Singapore, Haiti and Alaska.
At a time when the vast majority of people could not — or did not — travel far from home, these short films gave them a glimpse of the world they could not get anywhere else.
The release is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection, and can be found at www.wbshop.com or other online dealers.
Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4×3) full-screen picture; English Dolby audio.
Bodyguards and Assassins (Blu-ray)
Details: 2009, Shout! Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Donnie Yen stars in this action-packed, martial arts feature set in 1905 Hong Kong.
The story revolves around a low-life group of men and women hired to protect revolutionary leader Sun Yat-Sen from the assassins hired by the corrupt Qing dynasty.
The movie features an hour-long battle that will take your breath away.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Mandarin 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include five behind-the-scenes featurettes and extended cast and crew interviews.
Devlin: The Complete Series (DVD-R)
Release date: May 24
Details: 1974, Warner Archive Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Hanna-Barbera animated series centers on a stunt motorcyclist and his family-crew, who travel the country putting on shows and performing good deeds by helping others.
This two-disc set features all 16 episodes of the series, which had a more mature tone than the usual Hanna-Barbera offerings.
The set is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wbshop.com and other Internet retailers.
Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4×3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
NOW STREAMING & DOWNLOADS
“Tribeca Shortlist”
Site: www.tribecashortlist.com
Cost: $4.99 per month
Film buffs and fans will like this website not just for its selection of movies, but for its programming, which features actors, directors and other celebrities talking about and introducing some of their favorite movies.
Plus, Tribeca Shortlist, as of June 6, is available on Android devices and in the Google Play Store, so subscribers can basically watch movies from anywhere.
The site also has added more than 100 titles for viewing in June, including Lars von Trier’s “Dogville,” the surfing documentary, “Step Into Liquid,” “Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion,” the Oscar-winning “Crash,” “Carnal Knowledge,” the cult favorite “Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai,” “Leonard Cohen: I’m Your Man” and “Amelie.”
Visit the site for the complete list of releases.
Among the Shortlist celebrities talking about some of their favorite films this month are Gary Oldman and Michael Rappaport.
The site also is celebrating Pride Month with films that focus on the LGBTQ community, including “Some Like It Hot,” “Chasing Amy,” “Howl,” “The Celluloid Closet,” “Farewell My Concubine” and “All About My Mother.”
DreamWorks Voltron Legendary Defender
Available Now
Site: Netflix
Cost: $7.99-$11.99 per month
In this kid-friendly action series, tinged with comedy, five teenagers are transported from Earth into the middle of an intergalactic war.
The teens become pilots for five robotic lions and become part of a crusade to protect the universe from evil.
They soon learn that through the power of teamwork, they can unite and form the great and mighty warrior known as Voltron Legendary Defender.
The premiere is an origin story that will be followed by another 10 episodes.
Cilla
Available Now
Site: www.acorn.tv
Cost: $4.99 per month
This three-part British series follows the career of singer Cilla Black, played by Sheridan Smith.
The episodes follow’s Black careers from performing in the early 1960s in amateur clubs to her rise to fame as well as spotlighting her relationships with Bobby Wills and Beatles manager Brian Epstein.
Fender Bender
Rated: Not rated
Available Now
Site: Chiller (available on Comcast and Metronet)
Cost: Free
This horror outing is Shout! Factory’s first original production. It is set in a small New Mexico town where a 17-year-old girl who has just received her driver’s license gets into her first fender bender.
She exchanges information with the apologetic and friendly stranger. Later that night, when she is in her isolated suburban home with two of her school friends, the stranger comes calling.
Of course, he is a serial killer who travels the nation’s roads in his old car, creating fender benders as a way to find his next victim.
Girl in Woods
Rated: Not rated
Available Now
Sites: iTunes, Amazon Instant, Google Play, Dish, DirecTV, Comcast, Vudu
Costs: Rent or to-own prices vary by site.
After the death of her fiancé, a young woman is abandoned in a harsh and mountainous wilderness.
Her fragile psyche begins to crack as she struggles against the elements and starvation.
She also notices a dark figure that is continually stalking her.
With the help of long-buried memories about her mother and father, the young woman uncovers the truth about herself, a fact that could either lead her to safety or place her on the path for more horrors.
Hitler’s Folly
Rated: Not rated
Available Now
Site: www.plymptoons.com
Cost: Free streaming
Adolf Hitler is no joking matter, even though comedians such as Charlie Chaplin, The Three Stooges and Mel Brooks have successfully spoofed him.
Now, animator Bill Plympton is jabbing the 20th century’s worst monster by imagining what would have happened if Hitler had a successful art career and was inspired to become an animator like Walt Disney.
The film uses archival World War II footage, Hitler’ early artwork and Plympton’s signature animation to create this provocative work.
NEWS OF NOTE
The third and fourth seasons of “Suspects” is available on Acorn TV (https://acorn.tv).
The eight-episode British police procedural series is filmed from eyewitness perspectives and uses improvised dialogue, which offers a more authentic look at how police investigate cases.
Other Blu-rays and DVDs being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Rabid Dogs (Blu-ray + DVD) (IFC Midnight-Scream Factory)
Under the Sun of Satan (Blu-ray) (Cohen Film Collection)
FOR KIDS
Quackerz (3D Blu-ray + Blu-ray + DVD + digital) (Shout! Kids)
DIGITAL DOWNLOADS & STREAMING
Eye in the Sky (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
Honeyglue (Zombot Pictures)
Raised by Wolves: Series 1 (Acorn TV, June 20)
Coming next week: Midnight Special
The Brothers Grimsby
The Wave
Bob Bloom is a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. He reviews movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. He can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow Bloom on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. Movie reviews by Bloom also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.