New to View: Oct. 6
By Bob Bloom
The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Oct. 6, unless otherwise noted:
The Secret Garden (Blu-ray + DVD + digital)
Details: 2020, Universal Studios Home Entertainment
Rated: PG, thematic elements, some danger
The lowdown: This is another adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s popular children’s classic, which has had several previous screen incarnations.
This version stars Colin Firth, Julie Waters and Dixie Egerickx and is set in 1947 postwar England.
Egerickx’s Mary Lennox, an orphan sent to live with her uncle, Lord Archibald Craven (Firth), discovers a magical garden on the grounds of his estate.
The remake covers similar ground as its predecessors — grief, bitterness, death and recovery.
The movie received a 65 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 2.0 DVS Dolby digital and Spanish 5.1 DTS digital surround; English SDH and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 2.0 DVS Dolby digital; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus options include a look at the characters, a behind-the-scenes look at the movie’s production designs and a page-to-screen featurette.
Valley Girl (Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2020, Warner Home Video
Rated: PG-13, language, teen partying, suggestive material, brief nudity
The lowdown: This remake of the 1983 movie about the romance between a valley girl and punk rocker is another in a long line of unnecessary remakes.
This time, instead of Nicolas Cage and Deborah Foreman, we get Josh Whitehouse and Jessica Rothe.
The story is basically the same, backed by a new-wave 1980s’ soundtrack that plays more like a Disney Channel offering than a theatrical feature film.
Critics were divided on the movie, giving it a 55 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English descriptive audio; English SDH subtitles.
Penny Dreadful: City of Angels: Season One (DVD)
Release date: Sept. 29
Details: 2020, CBS DVD-Showtime-Paramount Home Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: The story in this new edition of “Penny Dreadful” moves from Victorian England to 1938 Los Angeles — a period of historic change, in which a brutal murder shocks the city.
Detective Tiago Vega (Daniel Zovatto) and his partner, Lewis Michener (Nathan Lane), are assigned to the case.
Los Angeles is a city in flux: the construction of the freeways begins, Third Reich spies are infiltrating the community and radio evangelism is on the rise.
The backdrop of the 10 episodes is the city’s traditions of Mexican-American folklore, threatening Vega and those closest to him.
Natalie Dormer (“Game of Thrones”) is featured as Magda, a demon-like character who helps stoke the flames of chaos.
The four-disc set is an intriguing mixture of film noir and the supernatural.
Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include a behind-the-scenes featurette with cast members discussing the season, a featurette with Dormer discussing her character, a featurette on the preparations for the dance scenes and a two-part featurette on the creation of the series and its various facets.
The Tax Collector (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, RLJE Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This tepid crime drama is built on a series of cliches that do not help its cause.
The film stars Bobby Soto as David and Shia LaBeouf as Creeper, who are “tax collectors” for crime boss Wizard, taking cuts from the profits of illicit dealings by local gangs.
Events heat up and Wizard’s business is upended when his old rival returns to Los Angeles from Mexico.
In this midst of all this turmoil and danger, David’s main concern is protecting his most precious commodity — his family.
The movie did not impress critics, who gave it a 17 percent fresh rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Deleted scenes comprise the major bonus component.
Eli Roth’s History of Horror: Season 1 (Blu-ray)
Details: 2018, RLJE Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This three-disc set contains all seven episodes of this series that explores various themes in horror films, their inspirations and the struggles that sometimes made it difficult to get them produced.
The series features interviews with filmmakers, authors and performers associated with the genre, such as Stephen King, Robert Englund, Linda Blair, Quentin Tarantino and Rob Zombie.
The episodes delve into the loyalty of fans who consistently are drawn to and follow the genre as well as the psychology behind audiences’ addiction to fear.
Horror fans will enjoy this series, which originally aired on AMC.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras include extended interviews with King, Tarantino and filmmakers Joe Dante, Roger Corman, Diablo Cody, Edgar Wright and John Landis, a featurette on how “Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein” influenced Tarantino, a look at how video games resurrected zombie movies, a featurette on whether horror is sexist or feminist, a look at making a monster and a “Scarred for Life” featurette.
300 (4K UHD + Blu-ray + digital)
Details: 2007, Warner Home Entertainment
Rated: R, graphic violence and battle sequences, sexual content, nudity
The lowdown: Director Zack Snyder directed this adaptation of Frank Miller’s graphic novel based on the ancient Battle of Thermopylae, in which 300 Spartans battled an overwhelming invading force of Persians led by King Xerxes.
This blend of live action and CGI stars Gerard Butler as King Leonidas of Sparta who, knowing he is greatly outnumbered, leads his men into battle despite the lack of help from other Greek city-states.
The 4K upgrade enhances the enjoyment of the film, with more vivid colors and audio.
Technical aspects: 2160 UHD, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos-7.1 TrueHD, English descriptive audio and French and Spanish Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 Dolby TrueHD, English 5.1 PCM and English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles.
Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include deleted scenes, a featurette on the fact and fiction of the historical event, original test footage, Frank Miller’s tapes, a look at the warriors of “300,” a commentary track by Snyder and 12 webisodes that go behind the scenes to look at various aspects of the making of the movie.
Ashfall (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, MPI Media Group
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Korean disaster thriller centers on a dormant volcano along the China-North Korean border that suddenly erupts, leaving the entire Korean peninsula devastated.
Seismologists warn that an even great eruption is forthcoming — one that basically could destroy the entire region.
To try and divert the disaster, a Korean-American scientist, Bong-rae (Don Lee) is recruited to find stop the impending explosion.
His solution is to use nuclear warheads, held in North Korean territory. Their exact location is known only by imprisoned defector Joon-pyeong (Lee Byung Hun).
A freak accident puts explosives expert In-chang (Ha Jung Woo) in charge of the team put together to extract Joon and locate the warheads.
The movie, at 128 minutes, is too long and a bit silly, but, overall it’s a decent disaster flick.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2:39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English & Korean audio; English SDH and English subtitles.
Don’t miss: A making of featurette and a look at the cast comprise the major extras.
Invincible Dragon (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, Well Go USA Entertainment
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: This Chinese import features Max Zhang as a trigger-happy detective outsmarted by a serial killer.
A misstep causes the detective to lose his fiancée and his job. Spiraling out of control, he returns to what he knows best — fighting.
Soon, a coincidental reunion with an old rival, played by Brazilian mixed martial artist Anderson Silva, may hold the key to the disappearance of his fiancée as well as capturing the elusive killer.
The film is rather chaotic and some scenes seem out of context or don’t make any sense.
Still, fans of the genre should enjoy the feature.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Cantonese 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English and Chinese subtitles.
To Your Last Death (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, Quiver Distribution
Rated: Not rated, bloody violence
The lowdown: An animated horror outing featuring the vocal talents of Morena Baccarin (“Deadpool”), Ray Wise and William Shatner.
The movie centers on a deadly revenge game set up by a father to punish his children.
Miriam (Dani Lennon), the one offspring who survives, receives an offer from a supernatural entity to travel back in time and try again.
This time, Miriam must survive not only her father’s bloodlust, but the ever-changing rules of the Gamemaster (Baccarin), to save her siblings.
Ray Wise voices Miriam’s sadistic father, while Shatner is the voice of The Overseer.
The movie plays like a violent video game about a deadly family feud that is really gory, which many fans of the ultra-violent kind of horror films may appreciate.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 (16×9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles.
The Deeper You Dig: Limited Edition (Blu-ray)
Details: 2019, Arrow Video
Rated: Not rated, disturbing images, violence
The lowdown: This low-budget, indie horror film is another offering from the filmmaking Adams family, a father-mother-daughters team who have been making films together since at least 2013.
In “The Deeper You Dig,” Ivy (Toby Poser) and Echo (Zelda Adams) are a mother and daughter living in upstate New York.
They encounter a new neighbor, Kurt (John Adams), who is rehabilitating a nearby home. Later, while driving home in a snowstorm, Kurt runs over Echo who, disobeying her mom, is out sledding at night.
Kurt, believing Echo is dead, takes her to his home where, to his chagrin, he discovers she is still alive, but barely.
He decides to finish the job and then bury the body on his property. Soon, however, the house is visited by Echo, in various stages of decomposition, which, as you would guess, scares the crap out of Kurt.
It also doesn’t help that Ivy soon begins to suspect that he has some connection to the disappearance and death of her daughter.
The movie has some wonderful atmospheric sequences that fans of the genre will appreciate.
Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles.
Don’t miss: Extras in the two-disc set include an earlier Adams’ feature, “The Hatred,” an “At Home With the Adams” featurette, a visual essay about the movie and other films that feature families as the primary characters, a look at the special effects, a couple of music videos, a FrightFest TV interview with the Adams and a collector’s booklet.
The Blue Eyes (DVD)
Details: 2012, IndiePix Films
Rated: Not rated
The lowdown: A supernatural thriller about an American couple who travel to Chiapas, Mexico, where they encounter a shape-shifting witch.
What follows are nightmares, fevers, hallucinations, stray dogs and temptations that drive a wedge in the couple’s relationship.
The events seem related to a Mayan curse involving the sins of some of the couple’s forebearers.
The movie provides some chills that will hold your attention.
Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English, Spanish and Tzotzil 5.1 Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated:
American Pie Presents Girls’ Rules (DVD & digital) (Universal Studios Home Entertainment)
B: The Beginning: Season One (Blu-ray & DVD) (Shout! Factory)
B: The Beginning: The Ultimate Collection (Blu-ray) (Shout! Factory)
Botero (DVD) (Corinth Films)
The Campaign of Miner Bo (DVD & digital) (Gravitas Ventures)
The Devil to Pay (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment)
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna (Blu-ray & DVD) (Shout! Factory)
The Harvest (DVD) IndiePix Films)
InterReflections (Blu-ray & DVD & digital & VOD) (Gravitas Ventures)
The Pale Door (Blu-ray & DVD) (RLJE Films)
The Shade Shepherd (DVD & digital) (Indican Pictures)
World W4r (DVD & VOD) (Midnight Releasing
Yummy (Blu-ray & DVD & digital & VOD) (RLJE Films)
FOR KIDS
Happy Halloween, Scooby-Doo! (DVD & digital) (Warner Home Entertainment)
The Wonderland (Blu-ray & DVD & digital) (Shout! Factory-Eleven Arts)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD
Cut Throat City (Well Go USA Entertainment)
Interview With a Murderer (Sundance Now)
Mulan (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment)
Save Yourselves! (Neon)
Souvenirs (digital & VOD) (Trinity Creative Partnership)
Spontaneous (digital & VOD) (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Welcome to the Blumhouse: Black Box & The Lie ((Blumhouse-Amazon Prime)
Hubie Halloween (Netflix, Oct. 7)
One Lane Bridge: Episode 4 (Sundance Now, Oct. 8)
Sibyl (Music Box Films, Oct. 8)
The Split: Season 2, Episode 2 (Sundance Now, Oct. 8
We Got This: Episode 6 (Sundance Now, Oct. 8)
Deaf U (www.netflix.com/deafu) (Netflix, Oct. 9)
The Doorman (digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment, Oct. 9)
The Forty-Year-Old Version (Netflix, Oct. 9)
The Right Stuff (Disney+, Oct. 9)
American Dream (Sundance Now, Oct. 12)
I Am Another You (Sundance Now, Oct. 12)
The Labours of Erica (Acorn TV, Oct. 12)
Mystery Road: Series 2, Episodes 1 & 2 (Acorn TV, Oct. 12)
The Sounds: Episode 8 (Acorn TV, Oct. 12)
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 Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.