New to View: April 30
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, April 30, unless otherwise noted:
Miss Bala (DVD + digital)
Details: 2019, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, gun violence, sexual and drug content, language, thematic material
The lowdown: Gina Rodriguez stars as Gloria, who drives to Tijuana, Mexico, to visit her best friend, who is competing in the “Miss Bala” beauty contest.
During a night out, Gloria’s friend is kidnapped, which later puts Gloria in the middle of a dangerous situation involving the DEA, CIA and a ruthless cartel leader.
Gloria reaches deep within herself and devises a strategy that pits one group against the other as well as seeking the release of her friend.
Despite the movie’s nod to female power and strength, critics were unimpressed, giving the movie a 22 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English and French 5.1 audio description track; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include three behind-the-scenes featurettes, including “Gloria: The Unstoppable Strength of a Woman,” a look at creating the gunfights and explosive sequences and a making of featurette; a commentary track and deleted and extended scenes.
Police Story/Police Story 2 (Blu-ray)
Details: 1985, 1988, The Criterion Collection
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: The martial arts and stunt skills of Jackie Chan are spotlighted in these two action comedies that helped make him a worldwide superstar.
Chan’s daredevil set pieces often are compared to silent star Buster Keaton in their split-second timing and virtuosity.
In “Police Story” and “Police Story 2,” Chan plays Ka-kui, a Hong Kong police inspector whose methods are considered unorthodox.
Both films feature breathtaking fight choreography, acrobatics, explosions and some slapstick antics.
The movies also introduce Maggie Cheung as Chan’s put-upon girlfriend.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Cantonese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and LPCM monaural and English dubbed; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an interview with filmmaker Edgar Wright; a 2017 podcast conversation between Wright and Chan; featurettes on Chan’s screen persona and action-filmmaking techniques; an episode of “Son of the Incredibly Strange Film Show” from 1989 featuring interviews with Chan and Cheung; archival interviews with Chan and stuntman Benny Lai; excerpts from a 1999 documentary “Jackie Chan: My Stunts”; excerpts from a 2017 TV show reuniting Chan with the original members of the Jackie Chan Stunt Team; a 1964 TV program detailing the difficult Beijing opera training; a Chan stunt reel; and an essay about the films.
Escape Room (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Release date: April 23
Details: 2019, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, terror, dangerous action, violence, suggestive material, language
The lowdown: Six strangers gather for what they believe is a fun and challenging highly immersive escape room.
Soon, however, they realize they are pawns in a sadistic and deadly game.
They join forces to move from one scary scenario to another, finding clues along the way to solve puzzles.
The players soon learn that exposing their darkest secrets may be the key to survival and escape.
The move is predictable, but also comforting in a goose-bumps-like manner.
Critics were divided giving the film a 48 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English and French 5.1 audio description tracks; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English and French 5.1 audio description tracks; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include six deleted and extended scenes, an alternate ending, an alternate opening and four behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Tarantula (Blu-ray)
Details: 1955, Scream Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Another of the Universal Pictures creature features from the 1950s. This one features a giant version of the title arachnid, which grew to an enormous size because of a growth formula invented by a scientist to use on plants and animals as a way to feed the world.
As usual in such features, the plan of the scientist, played by Leo G. Carroll, goes wrong, unleashing the giant tarantula, which feeds on cattle and people alike.
The movie, set in a small Arizona community, stars John Agar, Mara Corday and Nestor Paiva.
It was directed by Jack Arnold and produced by William Alland, who collaborated on other similar features in the 1950s.
Also, be on the lookout for a very young Clint Eastwood in one of his early roles as a jet fighter pilot.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extra is a commentary track with Tom Weaver, Dr. Robert J. Kiss and David Schecter.
Mission of Honor (Blu-ray)
Details: 2018, Cinedigm
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A historical drama set during World War II about fighter pilots from Eastern European countries, mostly Poland, occupied by the Nazis who were members of Squadron 303 and battled German warplanes over the skies of England during the Battle of Britain.
Despite flying obsolete planes and wearing second-hand uniforms, these pilots fought to preserve their honor, national identities and bring hope to those under the Nazi boot in their homelands.
This is an enjoyable movie that will appeal to World War II buffs.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a question-and-answer session with director David Blair and on-set interviews and behind-the-scenes looks with cast members.
The Brain (Blu-ray)
Details: 1988, Scream Factory
Rated: R, violence
The lowdown: A horror thriller about a brain that somehow continually grows in size and strength as it takes control of human minds and devours people’s bodies.
This is all tied to a popular television program called “Independent Thinking,” starring Dr. Anthony Blake (David Gale). As the show’s ratings continue to climb, so does the murder and suicide rates among its viewers.
What the good doctor knows — and his viewers don’t — is that he has aligned himself with an alien brain and plans to gain control of all humanity.
A troubled teen discovers the plan and, with the aid of his girlfriend, tries to thwart Blake and the brain.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include three commentary tracks, interviews with cast members and filmmakers and a “Love Letter to ‘The Brain’ ” featurette.
Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki (Blu-ray + DVD)
Details: 2016, Shout! Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that looks at Studio Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki, who, in 2013, announced his retirement.
But his decision did not diminish his desire to create.
So, after an encounter with young CGI animators, Miyazaki embarked on a new project, using these new techniques, despite being adamant about hand-drawn animation.
Miyazaki, who believes he is past his prime, confronts the challenges that threaten to cancel his new film.
The movie was shot over a two-year period and provides an interesting glimpse into the mind and creative process of one of animation’s greatest storytellers.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.77:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 2.0 DTS-HD; English, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 1.77:1 widescreen picture; Japanese 2.0 Dolby digital; English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include an alternate 48-minute version of the film with English narration and new footage.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
Khrustalyov, My Car (Blu-ray) (Arrow Academy)
Marilyn (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures)
Mission of Honor (Cinedigm)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Anthony Jeselnik: Fire in the Maternity Ward (Netflix)
Fighting with My Family (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
Isn’t It Romantic (Warner Home Video)
I’ll Take Your Dead (Shout! Studios, May 3)
A Voyage Round My Father (Acorn TV, May 6)
Caligula with Mary Beard (Acorn TV, May 6)
Rome: Empire Without Limits (Acorn TV, May 6)
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.