New to View: Dec. 25: Update

By Bob Bloom

The following titles are scheduled to be released on Tuesday, Dec. 25, unless otherwise noted:

White Boy Rick (DVD + digital)
Details: 2018, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: R, violence, drug content, language, sexual content, nudity
The lowdown: The movie, based on true events, is set in 1980s Detroit at the height of the crack epidemic and the government’s war on drugs.
The protagonist is Richard “White Boy Rick” Wershe Jr. (Richie Merritt), who became an undercover police informant and later a drug dealer.
He later was hung out to dry and abandoned by his handlers and sentenced to life in prison.
The movie costars Matthew McConaughey as Rick’s father. The cast also includes Bruce Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Piper Laurie.
Reviews of the film were mixed, with critics giving it a 59 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, English descriptive audio and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette, deleted scenes, a featurette on the real Rick Wershe Jr. and a look at the cast.

The Predator (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Release date: Dec. 18
Details: 2018, Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: R, graphic and bloody violence, language, crude sexual references
The lowdown: “The Predator” is to science fiction what Velveeta is to cheese — a poor substitution.
The movie is the latest iteration of this franchise, which began in 1987 with “Predator.” Several sequels and offshoots followed, until we’ve reached the point that we should have expected an “Abbott and Costello Meets Predator”-type of spinoff.
“The Predator” features two aliens, a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrials and a smart woman scientist — and Group 2, a band of misfit soldiers.
Basically, a cast of stock characters that we have seen numerous times before.
The plot diverts down a few avenues that fail to unite and create a cohesive whole film.
It’s mindless action with the Predator killing several earthlings in various gruesome ways, while the humans who are hunting it spout scientific claptrap that does more to confuse viewers than advance what little plot exists.
The feature is more science foible than fiction; logic and credibility are AWOL.
As with most action films today, “The Predator” aims to take the franchise in a new direction and use this movie as a springboard to future features.
A majority of critics also were unimpressed with the movie, giving it a 33 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and descriptive audio and French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a profile of director Shane Black, deleted scenes, a look at the evolution of the Predator, a look at the characters in the takedown team and a Predator catch-up featurette.

Hobbyhorse Revolution: Special Edition (Blu-ray)
Release date: Dec. 18
Details: 2017, FilmRise
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: An interesting documentary that follows three young women — Aisku, Elsa and Alisa — who found purpose with their new enthusiasm — hobbyhorse riding.
The movie focuses on the power of imagination as these young women — and thousands of other young people around the world — have climbed onto this phenomenon, despite a lack of understanding from parents and friends.
Despite the obstacles, the young women pursue their newfound love, ignoring those who scorn and ridicule them.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; Finnish language; English subtitles.

Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:

DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Goosebumps 2 (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Harrowing (Film Mode Entertainment)
The Guardians (Music Box Films, Dec. 26)
Halloween (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Dec. 28)
Night School (Universal Studios Home Entertainment, Dec. 28)
The Oath (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Dec. 28)
Henry IX: The Lost King (Acorn TV, Dec. 31)
The Real Doctor Zhivago (Acorn TV, Dec. 31)

Coming next week: Night School
    Bad Reputation

I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.