An enchanting comedy-drama with a wonderful performance by Blythe Danner is on Blu-ray and DVD this week, along with the latest Mad Max adventure.
Ill See You in My Dreams (Universal/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015, PG-13, featurette). Blythe Danner has been an appealing and charming presence in uncountable shows on the New York stage, TV and the silver screen for some 50 years and has earned a Tony and a couple of Emmys. Oscar has never come calling but that could change if this comedy-drama is remembered when the ballots go out.
Danner has spent most of her movie career in supporting roles. In recent interviews, she has said that her only other lead was as the title character in the 1974 romantic melodrama Lovin Molly and shes not sure about that, since she was third billed after Anthony Perkins and Beau Bridges. (I might add Futureworld, in which she co-starred with Peter Fonda.)
But at age 72, Danner is in nearly every scene of this one and more than holds her own as a long-widowed former songstress who decides to navigate the dating scene late in life, eventually finding romance with the irresistible Sam Elliott. Danner also gets to demonstrate an attractive singing voice with a touching arrangement of Cry Me a River. Rhea Perlman, Mary Kay Place and June Squibb are also quite good as her best friends, along with Martin Starr as her pool boy and Malin Akerman as her daughter.
This is a sweet, gentle, tender adult movie of the kind we get all too seldom these days and I highly recommend it.
Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015, R for violence and nudity, deleted scenes, featurettes). This sequel/reboot to Australian director George Millers apocalyptic franchise is filled to the brim with amazing stunts, all conceived without the benefit of CGI, which makes them all the more stunning. Tom Hardy takes over Mel Gibsons title character, but the film is handily stolen by Charlize Therons ferocious performance, as they transport female slaves in a flight to freedom. But the plot is secondary to the eye-popping action.
Bessie (HBO/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, not rated but in R-rated territory, featurette). This biography of 1920s blues singer Bessie Smith is obviously well intentioned (and certainly overdue), and casting Queen Latifah was inspired. But unfortunately, this being an HBO project, the R-rated excesses and emphasis on the more sordid aspects of Smiths life tend to undermine those intentions. It has good music, and there should have been more. Co-stars include Michael Kenneth Williams, Khandi Alexander, Mike Epps, Charles S. Dutton, MoNique and Oliver Platt.
Good Kill (Paramount/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2015; R for violence, language, sex; featurette). Ethan Hawke stars in this disturbing character study as a veteran Air Force pilot assigned to send drones into the war on terror, which he does for 12-hour shifts from a containment center in the desert outside Las Vegas. Its remote-control warfare, resembling a video game, but with real carnage resulting, and its taking its toll on him and his relationship with his wife (January Jones).
The D Train (Paramount/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015; R for sex, nudity, language, drugs; deleted scenes, bloopers). Raunchy, foul-mouthed comedy-drama about a meek get-along guy (Jack Black) who is happily married with children trying to earn props by getting a famous alumnus (James Marsden) to attend their 20-year high school reunion. But after he allows himself to be seduced by the bisexual Marsden, Black sinks into a labyrinth of lies and deceit.
Gemma Bovary (Music Box/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015; R for sex, nudity, language; in French with English subtitles, featurettes, trailer). Based on the graphic novel of the title, this comedy-drama is about an older man and his younger wife who bear the same names as the central couple in Flauberts famous novel Madame Bovary, and who move into the village where the book was written. The story is told through the observations of a local baker who notices the similarities and, fearing a tragic end to their story, attempts to intervene.
The Harvest (IFC/Scream/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, not rated). This is a chilling story of a young boy in a wheelchair who is befriended by an orphan girl who has moved in with her grandparents. But the boys mother (Samantha Morton) isnt happy that her son has a new friend, although Dad (Michael Shannon) seems OK with it. Then a gruesome twist is revealed. This slow-to-build fright flick boasts fine performances and tension-filled narrative without relying on supernatural cheats.
Backcountry (IFC/Scream/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, R for language and violence, audio commentary, featurette, photo gallery, trailer). This Canadian horror film has a seasoned outdoorsman (Jeff Roop) and his inexperienced girlfriend (Missy Peregrym) going deep into a forested area where they encounter a creepy camper (Eric Balfour) and find themselves hopelessly lost after a few days. And thats when a ferocious bear begins stalking them.
Wolf Warrior (Well Go/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2015, not rated, in Mandarin with English subtitles). Martial-arts fighting informs this Chinese wartime thriller about a top marksman who is also a loose cannon (Wu Jing, who also directed) being recruited by the mysterious insurgents known as Wolf Warriors. But they dont realize the marksman has been targeted for revenge for the killing of a drug lord. British martial-arts star Scott Adkins co-stars.
Lawless Kingdom (Lionsgate/DVD, 2015, R for violence, in Mandarin with English subtitles or English dubbed, featurettes, trailers). Four crime-fighters with supernatural powers Cold Blood, Emotionless, Iron Hands and Life Snatcher are crime-solvers in this sequel to The Four (2012). Here, they stumble on evidence of a 12-year-old murder that affects one of the foursome personally.
Panic 5 Bravo (Lionsgate/DVD, 2012, R for violence and language). Mexican star Kuno Becker directed, wrote and stars in this action-thriller about a team of U.S. paramedics that illegally crosses the border into Mexico to help a shooting victim but finds itself up against a drug cartel.
Broken Horses (Sony/DVD/Digital, 2015, R for violence and language, featurettes). Jacob and Buddy are orphans who were separated in their youth. Jacob (Anton Yelchin) becomes a professional violinist, while Buddy (Chris Marquette) is an assassin working for a gangster (Vincent DOnofrio) in a rural Western town. When he is about to be married, Jacob pays his brother a visit, learns of his situation and tries to rescue him.
Lords of London (Lionsgate/DVD/Digital, 2015, R for language and violence, trailers). Ray Winstone stars in this British thriller as a ruthless London gangster whose son (Glen Murphy) tries to escape his seemingly inevitable violent path.
Redeemer (Dark Sky/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, not rated, deleted scenes, featurette, trailer). The title is the nickname of a hoodie-wearing, Bible-quoting vigilante (martial-arts fighter Marko Zaror) who confronts criminals and gives them a chance to beg for forgiveness before he wastes them.
Extinction (Sony/DVD/Digital, 2015, R for violence and language, featurettes). TV stars Matthew Fox (Lost) and Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) are former friends who survive the apocalypse and must put their differences aside to fend off a zombie attack.
Blood Punch (Midnight/DVD/Digital, 2013, not rated, deleted scenes, featurette, bloopers). A chemistry student/meth dealer escapes his court-ordered drug rehab after falling for a fellow inmate, only to discover shes manipulating him to get meth for her psychotic boyfriend. But the cabin in the woods where they meet up is haunted.
The Blood Lands (Magnolia/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015, R for violence and language, featurette). An English couple leaves London for the Scottish countryside to escape the usual hustle and bustle but instead find their new home invaded by locals dressed in pig masks and armed with axes.
Ill See You in My Dreams (Universal/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015, PG-13, featurette). Blythe Danner has been an appealing and charming presence in uncountable shows on the New York stage, TV and the silver screen for some 50 years and has earned a Tony and a couple of Emmys. Oscar has never come calling but that could change if this comedy-drama is remembered when the ballots go out.
Danner has spent most of her movie career in supporting roles. In recent interviews, she has said that her only other lead was as the title character in the 1974 romantic melodrama Lovin Molly and shes not sure about that, since she was third billed after Anthony Perkins and Beau Bridges. (I might add Futureworld, in which she co-starred with Peter Fonda.)
But at age 72, Danner is in nearly every scene of this one and more than holds her own as a long-widowed former songstress who decides to navigate the dating scene late in life, eventually finding romance with the irresistible Sam Elliott. Danner also gets to demonstrate an attractive singing voice with a touching arrangement of Cry Me a River. Rhea Perlman, Mary Kay Place and June Squibb are also quite good as her best friends, along with Martin Starr as her pool boy and Malin Akerman as her daughter.
This is a sweet, gentle, tender adult movie of the kind we get all too seldom these days and I highly recommend it.
Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015, R for violence and nudity, deleted scenes, featurettes). This sequel/reboot to Australian director George Millers apocalyptic franchise is filled to the brim with amazing stunts, all conceived without the benefit of CGI, which makes them all the more stunning. Tom Hardy takes over Mel Gibsons title character, but the film is handily stolen by Charlize Therons ferocious performance, as they transport female slaves in a flight to freedom. But the plot is secondary to the eye-popping action.
Bessie (HBO/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, not rated but in R-rated territory, featurette). This biography of 1920s blues singer Bessie Smith is obviously well intentioned (and certainly overdue), and casting Queen Latifah was inspired. But unfortunately, this being an HBO project, the R-rated excesses and emphasis on the more sordid aspects of Smiths life tend to undermine those intentions. It has good music, and there should have been more. Co-stars include Michael Kenneth Williams, Khandi Alexander, Mike Epps, Charles S. Dutton, MoNique and Oliver Platt.
Good Kill (Paramount/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2015; R for violence, language, sex; featurette). Ethan Hawke stars in this disturbing character study as a veteran Air Force pilot assigned to send drones into the war on terror, which he does for 12-hour shifts from a containment center in the desert outside Las Vegas. Its remote-control warfare, resembling a video game, but with real carnage resulting, and its taking its toll on him and his relationship with his wife (January Jones).
The D Train (Paramount/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015; R for sex, nudity, language, drugs; deleted scenes, bloopers). Raunchy, foul-mouthed comedy-drama about a meek get-along guy (Jack Black) who is happily married with children trying to earn props by getting a famous alumnus (James Marsden) to attend their 20-year high school reunion. But after he allows himself to be seduced by the bisexual Marsden, Black sinks into a labyrinth of lies and deceit.
Gemma Bovary (Music Box/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015; R for sex, nudity, language; in French with English subtitles, featurettes, trailer). Based on the graphic novel of the title, this comedy-drama is about an older man and his younger wife who bear the same names as the central couple in Flauberts famous novel Madame Bovary, and who move into the village where the book was written. The story is told through the observations of a local baker who notices the similarities and, fearing a tragic end to their story, attempts to intervene.
The Harvest (IFC/Scream/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, not rated). This is a chilling story of a young boy in a wheelchair who is befriended by an orphan girl who has moved in with her grandparents. But the boys mother (Samantha Morton) isnt happy that her son has a new friend, although Dad (Michael Shannon) seems OK with it. Then a gruesome twist is revealed. This slow-to-build fright flick boasts fine performances and tension-filled narrative without relying on supernatural cheats.
Backcountry (IFC/Scream/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, R for language and violence, audio commentary, featurette, photo gallery, trailer). This Canadian horror film has a seasoned outdoorsman (Jeff Roop) and his inexperienced girlfriend (Missy Peregrym) going deep into a forested area where they encounter a creepy camper (Eric Balfour) and find themselves hopelessly lost after a few days. And thats when a ferocious bear begins stalking them.
Wolf Warrior (Well Go/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2015, not rated, in Mandarin with English subtitles). Martial-arts fighting informs this Chinese wartime thriller about a top marksman who is also a loose cannon (Wu Jing, who also directed) being recruited by the mysterious insurgents known as Wolf Warriors. But they dont realize the marksman has been targeted for revenge for the killing of a drug lord. British martial-arts star Scott Adkins co-stars.
Lawless Kingdom (Lionsgate/DVD, 2015, R for violence, in Mandarin with English subtitles or English dubbed, featurettes, trailers). Four crime-fighters with supernatural powers Cold Blood, Emotionless, Iron Hands and Life Snatcher are crime-solvers in this sequel to The Four (2012). Here, they stumble on evidence of a 12-year-old murder that affects one of the foursome personally.
Panic 5 Bravo (Lionsgate/DVD, 2012, R for violence and language). Mexican star Kuno Becker directed, wrote and stars in this action-thriller about a team of U.S. paramedics that illegally crosses the border into Mexico to help a shooting victim but finds itself up against a drug cartel.
Broken Horses (Sony/DVD/Digital, 2015, R for violence and language, featurettes). Jacob and Buddy are orphans who were separated in their youth. Jacob (Anton Yelchin) becomes a professional violinist, while Buddy (Chris Marquette) is an assassin working for a gangster (Vincent DOnofrio) in a rural Western town. When he is about to be married, Jacob pays his brother a visit, learns of his situation and tries to rescue him.
Lords of London (Lionsgate/DVD/Digital, 2015, R for language and violence, trailers). Ray Winstone stars in this British thriller as a ruthless London gangster whose son (Glen Murphy) tries to escape his seemingly inevitable violent path.
Redeemer (Dark Sky/Blu-ray/DVD, 2015, not rated, deleted scenes, featurette, trailer). The title is the nickname of a hoodie-wearing, Bible-quoting vigilante (martial-arts fighter Marko Zaror) who confronts criminals and gives them a chance to beg for forgiveness before he wastes them.
Extinction (Sony/DVD/Digital, 2015, R for violence and language, featurettes). TV stars Matthew Fox (Lost) and Jeffrey Donovan (Burn Notice) are former friends who survive the apocalypse and must put their differences aside to fend off a zombie attack.
Blood Punch (Midnight/DVD/Digital, 2013, not rated, deleted scenes, featurette, bloopers). A chemistry student/meth dealer escapes his court-ordered drug rehab after falling for a fellow inmate, only to discover shes manipulating him to get meth for her psychotic boyfriend. But the cabin in the woods where they meet up is haunted.
The Blood Lands (Magnolia/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2015, R for violence and language, featurette). An English couple leaves London for the Scottish countryside to escape the usual hustle and bustle but instead find their new home invaded by locals dressed in pig masks and armed with axes.
