New to View: Sept. 13
By Bob Bloom
The following Blu-rays and DVDs are being released on Tuesday, Sept. 13, unless otherwise noted.
Captain America: Civil War (Blu-ray)
Details: 2016, Marvel-Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13, action violence, mayhem
The lowdown: Principle vs. pragmatism is the root of a schism that pits superheroes against each other in “Captain America: Civil War.”
Instead of battling an external enemy, this latest offering in the Marvel Cinematic Universe finds humanity’s protectors reluctantly fighting an internal conflict that divides friends.
The impetus for the story is the collateral damage — human and property — inflicted by the various superheroes in their previous clashes to save the world and protect the planet.
This is one of the best films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and sets in motion events that will transpire in future outings.
The movie’s home theater transfer is superb; the sound resonates around the room and the picture is crystal clear.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 2.0 audio descriptive track and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Among the hours of extras are a two-part, behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, featurettes exploring the evolution of Captain America and Iron Man, a sneak peek at the upcoming “Doctor Strange” movie, a gag reel, deleted and extended scenes and a commentary track.
The Conjuring 2 (Blu-ray)
Details: 2016, Warner Home Video
Rated: R, terror and horror violence
The lowdown: Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return as Lorraine and Ed Warren who, in this sequel, help a single mother with four children who are being plagued by an evil spirit.
The family lives in a house known as England’s Amityville. The case, known as the Enfield Haunting, was one of the most documented in the history of paranormal investigations.
Of course, the movie offers a lot of chills and moments that make you jump, because of things popping into frame at unexpected moments.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 audio descriptive track and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a featurette on the true story that inspired the film, a look at how the scary scenes were crafted, deleted scenes, a featurette on the sound effects, one of creating Crooked and a “The Conjuring 2: Hollywood’s Haunted Stage” featurette.
Raising Cain: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 1992, Scream Factory
Rated: R, Not rated, violence, language
The lowdown: A two-disc set featuring the theatrical and director’s cut of Brian De Palma’s psychological thriller starring John Lithgow as a devoted husband and father who takes a year off from his practice as a psychologist to spend more time with his family.
However, his wife soon begins to notice some strange behavior in her husband, especially his obsessive behavior toward their daughter.
Complicating matters is the return of a former boyfriend of the wife.
Soon Lithgow’s Carter Nix, begins manifesting multiple personalities as well as Nix’s plan to recreate the fiendish experiments of his late father, who also was deranged.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a featurette on restoring the movie to De Palma’s original vision, interviews with Lithgow, and costars Steven Bauer, Gregg Henry, Tom Bower, Mel Harris and editor Paul Hirsch.
Marguerite (Blu-ray)
Release date: Aug. 2
Details: 2015, Cohen Media Group
Rated: R, language
The lowdown: This comedy-drama, set in 1921 France, tells the story of Marguerite Dumont, whose castle is the rendezvous point for music lovers.
Those who come to her help for a great cause know little about Marguerite, except that she is wealthy and has a passion for music.
The lady sings, wholeheartedly and with much enthusiasm. However, she is terribly out of tune. Because she is rich, the hypocritical audience heaps praise upon here while laughing behind her back.
And when a journalist decides to write a rave review of her singing, Marguerite begins to take her singing even more seriously, much to the chagrin of her husband and others close in her circle.
If the film sounds familiar, it follows a trajectory similar to this year’s “Florence Foster Jenkins,” starring Meryl Streep and set in 1940s New York.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, widescreen picture; French 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes and an interview with director Xavier Giannoli.
Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (Blu-ray 3D)
Details: 1983, Scream Factory
Rated: PG, violence
The lowdown: This feature is one of a plethora of space operas produced during this time that was trying to tap into the fervor for science fiction movies created by “Star Wars” and its sequels.
The movie is set on the desert planet of Lemuria, where Jared-Syn, an evil dictator, terrorizes a miner and his daughter.
To their rescue comes Dogen, a peace-keeping ranger, who must battle the dictator, his son, the giant Cyclopians and the Cyclopian warlord, Hurok.
The cast includes a young Kelly Preston as Dhyana, the damsel in distress; Jeffrey Byron as Dogen; Mike Preston as Jared-Syn; and Richard Moll as Hurok.
The movie is presented in 3D and a standard 2D rendering.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A featurette on the making of the movie that includes interviews with director Charles Band, Byron, Moll, costar Tim Thomerson and others is the major bonus attraction.
All Things Must Pass
Details: 2015, Gravitas Ventures-FilmRise
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that looks at the rise and fall of Tower Records.
The company, that once had 200 stores in 30 countries, began in a small-town drugstore and climbed to become an influencial force in the music industry.
In 1999, the company mad $1 billion, but by 2006, it had filed for bankruptcy.
This fascinating film looks at what went wrong. Many people blame the Internet, but, as the film shows, several other factors also were involved.
Technical aspects: Widescreen picture, English 5.1 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned.
Back in Time
Details: 2015, Gravitas Ventures-FilmRise
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A documentary that celebrates the cultural impact of the hit movie, “Back to the Future” and its two sequels.
Stars Michael J. Fox, Leah Thompson and Christopher Lloyd as well as director Robert Zemeckis and filmmakers Steven Spielberg, Bob Gale, James Tolkan and Claudia Wells all share their memories and experiences about the movies.
Fans of the trilogy will really enjoy the pulling back the curtain on what these artists believed made the films such a success as well as why they continue to influence today’s culture.
Technical aspects: Widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital.
Other Blu-rays and DVDs being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
King Jack (Well Go USA Entertainment)
The Last Reef: Cities Beneath the Sea (Blu-ray + digital HD, Shout! Factory)
The Neon Dead (Wild Eye Releasing)
Standing Tall (Cohen Media Group)
Wonders of the Arctic (Blu-ray + digital HD, Shout! Factory)
FOR KIDS
The Transformers — The Movie: 30th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray +digital HD) (Shout! Kids)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD and STREAMING
Central Intelligence (Warner Home Video)
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
The Shallows (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Warcraft (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
Weiner Dog (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Finding Altamira (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, Sept. 16)
Holy Flying Circus (Acorn TV, Sept. 16)
Capital (Acorn TV, Sept. 19)
Delivery Man (Acorn TV, Sept. 19)
Janet King: Series 2, Episode 5 (Acorn TV, Sept. 19)
Coming next week: Cat People
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.