New to View: ‘Inside Out’ an amusing mind-bending journey
By Bob Bloom
The following Blu-rays and DVDs are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 3:
Inside Out (Blu-ray + DVD + digital HD)
Details: 2015, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, mild disturbing elements, action
The lowdown: Parents and adolescents, more so than youngsters, will appreciate the humor in Disney-Pixar’s new animated feature.
The movie’s concept is imaginative, showing us the life of a girl named Riley through the emotions in her head. These are led by Joy and also include Sadness, Anger, Fear and Disgust.
Some of the movie’s concepts — a journey into the subconscious, for example — will be over the heads of very young audience members, but will be received with knowing nods from moms and dads.
The little ones, however, will find the characters engaging and entertaining, and will laugh at some of their antics — even if they don’t fully grasp their meanings.
For the most part, the movie is bright and cheery and will definitely engage youngsters.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 audio descriptive track and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 2.0 Dolby audio descriptive track; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Among the extras are two short films, “Riley’s First Date” and “Lava,” a featurette with director Pete Docter and others on the creation of the movie, a featurette on the women of “Inside Out,” a behind-the-scenes look at the filmmakers as they personify the movie’s emotions, a featurette on the filmmakers who are fathers, a look at the sound effects, deleted scenes, a commentary track and a behind-the-scenes look at animation film editing.
Vacation (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet)
Details: 2015, Warner Home Video
Rated: R, crude and sexual content, language, violence, nudity
The lowdown: The next generation of Griswolds head back to Walley World with the same funny and disastrous results as the original.
The humor is so crude and sophomoric, that, after a while, it becomes repetitive and tiresome.
“Vacation” is too unrestrained and over the top, as if its creators needed to prove that it could be the most lowbrow comedy ever produced.
And it is said how old and overweight Chevy Chase looks in his short appearance in the movie.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 Dolby Digital audio descriptive track and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Special features include a look at the return to Walley World, a featurette on the Griswold journey, a gag reel and deleted scenes.
Best of Enemies (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, Magnolia Home Entertainment
Rated: R, sexual content, language
The lowdown: If you, like millions of others, are sickened by the lack of substance in the recent Republican candidates’ debates and wish you could see what real debating was, then this is the Blu-ray for you.
This documentary focuses on the debates between conservative icon William F. Buckley and staunch liberal and cousin to Jacqueline Onassis, Gore Vidal during the Republican and Democratic national conventions of 1968.
Vidal was a leftist columnist and author and Buckley was a publisher and author. Each had a distrust and dislike for the other, believing their rival’s political views were dangerous for the nation.
Their lively, angry, explosive, unscripted and vitriolic exchanges riveted viewers that summer and created a new era for public discourse that television embraced.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include interviews with directors Morgan Neville and Robert Gordon and more than an hour of interviews with the commentators.
The Gift (Blu-ray + DVD + Ultraviolet)
Details: 2015, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: R, language, mature themes
The lowdown: A psychological thriller about one man’s chance encounter with an old high school acquaintance that leads to the uncovering of a dark and disturbing secret from the past.
The biggest impact of all that is going on rests on the wife of the man who is the recipient of gifts and unannounced visits from his former classmate.
Jason Bateman and Rebecca Hall play the married couple and Joel Edgerton, who also wrote and directed the movie, costars.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles.
Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include an alternate ending, deleted scenes, a featurette on karma for bullies, a featurette on Bateman’s darker side and a commentary track with Edgerton.
Black Sails: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, Anchor Bay Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Sail the seven seas in the second season of this popular Starz series in this three-disc set that contains all 10 episodes of grand adventure.
As the second season opens, the crew of the Walrus is stranded with Spanish soldiers between them and their Urca gold.
Meanwhile, Capt. Flint and John Silver join forces in order to survive, while Eleanor Guthrie is determined to retain her grip on Nassau and face off against a new breed of bloodthirsty pirate as personified by the evil Ned Low.
There’s blood, battles and romance galore as fans await the third season of the series, which will air in 2016.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and Spanish and French 2.0 Dolby Digital surround; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus features include a look inside the world of “Black Sails,” a featurette on expanding the world of the series, a look at a man o’war, a featurette on history’s influence on the series and a behind-the-scenes look at high seas action.
Getting On: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet)
Details: 2015, HBO Home Entertainment
Rated: TV-MA
The lowdown: It’s time to return to the Billy Barnes Extended Care Unit where you can die laughing — or just die because of the fumbling staff.
The series follows the daily lives of the staff and elderly residents as well as the struggles of caring for the elderly in a dysfunctional and red tape-run health-care system.
Watching some of these episodes is the best medicine to make people think about taking good care of themselves so they won’t have to wind up in such a facility.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 DTS Digital surround and Spanish 2.0 DTS Digital surround; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a gag reel and deleted scenes.
A LEGO Brickumentary (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, Anchor Bay Entertainment
Rated: G
The lowdown: Filmmakers Daniel Junge and Kief Davidson go behind the scenes to look at the bricks that have enthralled children — and adults — for years.
The film looks at the impact of the bricks and their innovative uses around the world.
As a treat, the movie offers a tour of galleries filled with LEGO creations, as well as the master builders who design and create life-sized LEGO models.
The movie makes one thing clear: LEGOs are for children of all ages.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Deleted scenes are the major bonus feature.
Toy Story That Time Forgot (Blu-ray + digital HD)
Details: 2015, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: TV-G
The lowdown: Buzz Lightyear, Woody and the rest of the gang are back for this tale in which they come up against a set of action figures who turn out to be dangerously delusional.
It’s up to Trixie the triceratops to help the toys return to Bonnie’s playroom where they will be safe and sound.
This is a wonderful family adventure that at a very short 22 minutes will hold and captivate youngsters’ attentions.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English 2.0 Dolby descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras look at “Toy Story” attending Comic-Con, a karaoke video, deleted scenes, a commentary track, the opening of the fictional animated TV series “Battlesaurs” and a look at the origins of the Battlesaurs world and culture.
Leon the Professional (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet)
Release date: Oct. 27
Details: 1994, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: Unrated and R, graphic, bloody violence, language
The lowdown: Luc Besson wrote and directed this action thriller starring Jean Reno as New York’s top hitman who becomes the unwilling caretaker for the 12-year-old daughter of his next door neighbors after they are murdered by dishonest cops, headed by Gary Oldman.
The girl, Mathilda (Natalie Portman), wants Leon to help her revenge the killings, not simply protect her.
This nonstop adrenaline rush features the theatrical as well as extended versions of the movie.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD), French 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH, English, French, Portuguese and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a look back at the film by crew and cast members, a featurette on Reno and another on Portman.
The Fifth Element (Blu-ray + Ultraviolet)
Release date: Oct. 27
Details: 1997, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, intense science fiction violence, sexual content, nudity
The lowdown: Director Luc Besson’s space adventure features an all-star cast headed by Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm and Chris Tucker.
In this futuristic thriller, Willis plays a cab driver who picks up a fare with whom he joins forces to save the world.
This is a strangely stylish and colorful flick that tells a solid story of good vs. evil in the 23rd century.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos (7.1 Dolby TrueHD), French 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include featurettes that look at the stars, the aliens, the digital work, the film’s outrageous fashions, the visual effects, the diva character, the movie’s style elements and a behind-the-scenes look at imagining the movie.
Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 27
Details: 1964, Olive Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Peter Cushing stars as Dr. Schreck in this omnibus horror anthology directed by ace cinematographer Freddie Francis.
Christopher Lee, Donald Sutherland, Michael Gough and Max Adrian costar in this feature about five men who board a train and, to wile away the time, allow Schreck to read Tarot cards to each of the men.
The vignettes unfold as he reads, and involve a tale of voodoo, a deadly creeping vine, a werewolf on the loose, a vampire story and a disembodied hand with a mind of its own.
This was — and remains — a scary feature with an ending that will blow you away.
The movie was a precursor to such features as “Vault of Horror” and “Tales From the Crypt.”
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture.
Paulo Coelho’s Best Story
Details: 2015, Music Box Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A movie that centers on best-selling author Paulo Coelho, whose works are the most translated books in the world.
The movie looks at Coelho’s life before he began writing as he searched for inspiration, guidance and his true calling.
Coelho flirted with death and madness, fell in love and became a rock star before picking up the pen.
The movie paints a picture of the man and the experiences that shaped the author.
Technical aspects: 1.85:1 widescreen picture; Portuguese 5.1 Dolby Digital; English and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: A “Road to Santiago” featurette, a look at the makeup and special effects and interviews with cast members comprise the major bonus offerings.
“Eight Films to Die For”
Release date: Oct. 28
Details: 2013-15, Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: R, graphic and bloody horror violence, language, drug use, sexual material, nudity
The lowdown: A group of eight horror movies released under the umbrella of “Eight Films to Die For” are filled with serial killers, supernatural creatures and buckets of blood.
The movies in this series are:
• “Bastard,” about a masked murderer stalking five strangers in an isolated mountain town.
• “Suspension,” which centers on a high school student who draws gruesome pictures because her father, now in a mental hospital, once went on a killing spree. Now dad has escaped and is hunting his daughter and her friends.• “Wind Walkers” centers on a group of hunters who become the prey of an ancient Native American curse.
• “Re-Kill” is a post-apocalyptic thriller that follows a war between Re-Animates and the last of the surviving humans.
• “Unnatural” deals with an experiment in genetic modification that leads to the creation of a bloodthirsty man-hunting monster in the Alaskan wilds.
• “The Wicked Within” is a supernatural thriller that takes place during a family gathering a year after the death of a beloved child.
• “Lumberjack Man” is a demon logger out for vengeance who targets the staff of a church camp during spring break.
• “Murder in the Dark” is a murder mystery set in the ruins of a medieval Turkish town. This is an experimental movie in which the actors were not allowed to see the script, but their choices decided where the story would go.
The movies are video-on-demand DVD-R releases and can be found at www.foxconnect.com or other online retailers.
Technical aspects: Widescreen and full-screen pictures; English 5.1 Dolby Digital.
Flying Disc Man From Mars (Blu-ray)
Release date: Oct. 27
Details: 1950, Olive Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: It’s understandable why Olive Films would make this 12-chapter Republic Pictures serial its second foray into offering classic cliffhangers to the public on Blu-ray.
It has a science fiction title that would appeal to genre fans who are novices to serials.
However, similar to the earlier release of Republic’s “The Invisible Monster,” “Flying Disc Man From Mars” is not a prime example of the work done by the studio in this action genre.
The cliffhanger was released when serials were on the decline and the studio was cutting costs.
In a sense, “Flying Disc Man From Mars” can be viewed as a greatest hits serial as it contains sequences from “King of the Mounties,” “G-Men vs. the Black Dragon,” “The Purple Monster Strikes” and “The Crimson Ghost,” among other earlier efforts.
Because of the action sequences from the earlier works, this release serves as a good introduction to serials.
It is hoped that Olive Films will follow up and offer more cliffhanger releases so the public can learn to appreciate these former Saturday matinee classics.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.33:1 full-screen picture.
Tiger House (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, Magnolia Home Entertainment
Rated: R, violence, language
The lowdown: A thriller about a gang of crooks who break into a home in order to kidnap the manager of a bank and force him to help the bad guys with their heist.
The bank manager’s daughter and her boyfriend, however, thwart the crooks by outthinking and outmaneuvering them.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette is the major bonus component.
Stung (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, IFC Midnight-Scream Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A garden party is invaded by wasps that have mutated into giant predators.
Two caterers at the party must use all their skills to battle and stop the killer bugs.
Fighting beside each other sparks a romance between the pair that will have to wait until all the big buzzers are eliminated.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette, production blog videos and a commentary track comprise the major bonus offerings.
Bloodsucking Bastards (Blu-ray)
Details: 2015, Scream Factory
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: Think of this horror-comedy as vampire version of “Office Space” meets “Shaun of the Dead.”
The feature centers on Evan, overworked employee of a soulless corporation, his girlfriend and his best friend, who’s a slacker.
Evan’s world goes south when his girlfriend dumps him and the promotion he was expecting goes to his archrival. Also, people in the office begin to act strangely and bodies begin to pile up.
Evan must find a way to stop the corporate carnage, win back his girlfriend and rescue his friends in the workplace.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: The major extras include outtakes and a commentary track.
Coming next week: Mr. Holmes
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.