From the Big Screen:
“Before Midnight,” “The Conjuring,” “The Way, Way Back,” “Only God Forgives” and “The Internship.” For more releases this week, see the Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases.
Collectibles:
Heading up the must-have releases this week is “The Uninvited,” a very spooky and chilling horror film from 1944. A pair of siblings (Ray Milland and Ruth Hussey) from London purchase a surprisingly affordable, lonely cliff-top house in Cornwall, only to discover that it actually carries a ghostly price; soon they’re caught up in a bizarre romantic triangle from beyond the grave. Rich in atmosphere, “The Uninvited”, directed by Lewis Allen, was ground breaking for the seriousness with which it treated the haunted-house genre, and it remains an elegant and eerie experience, featuring a classic score by Victor Young. A tragic family past, a
From TV to DVD:
“Chilling Visions: 5 Senses of Fear” (2013) is an anthology of five Chiller Network macabre short films on the human senses: “Smell,” “See,” “Touch,” “Taste” and “Listen.” On DVD and Blu-ray Disc from Scream Factory/Shout! Factory …
Buzzin’ the ‘B’s:
“Dead in Tombstone” (2013) is a wild, blood-soaked supernatural Western starring Danny Trejo, Anthony Michael Hall and Mickey Rourke. After a ruthless gang overruns a small mining town, they murder their own leader, Guerrero Hernandez (Trejo), in a cold-blooded power grab. Sentenced to eternity in hell, Guerrero finds himself confronted by Satan himself (Rourke), who offers a daring proposition: deliver the six souls of his former gang and he will escape damnation. With rated and unrated versions, on DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo, from Universal …
On the Indie Front:
“Just Like a Woman” (2012), starring Sienna Miller and Golshifteh Farahani, is a kind of 21st century “Thelma & Louise” about two women — Mona, an Egyptian (Farahani) living with her husband and abusive mother-in-law and Marilyn, (Miller) a hard-working warehouse clerk with dreams of becoming a professional belly dancer — who team up for a road trip from Chicago to Santa Fe, paying their way by
Foreign:
“The Wall” (2012 — Austria/Germany), starring Martina Gedeck, is based on Marlen Haushofer’s highly-regarded 1962 novel, the story of an unnamed character — The Woman — who is vacationing in the spectacular Austrian mountains when an invisible wall inexplicably encompasses the countryside. The Woman is cut off from all human contact and is separated from
For the Family:
“Digimon: The Official Seasons 1-4 Collection” (1999-2002) consists of the first four seasons of “Digimon,” together for the first time on DVD in a 32-disc set with 205 episodes of the series, with “Digimon Adventure” and “Digimon Adventure 02,” the classic seasons that started it all, and “Digimon Tamers” and “Digimon Frontier,” the continuation of the series with all new characters and worlds. The series revolves around the life forms known as “Digital
Special Interest:
- “Far Out Isn’t Far Enough: The Tomi Ungerer Story” (2013): One man’s wild, lifelong adventure of testing society’s boundaries through his subversive art, this feature combines traditional documentary storytelling with original animation culled from seven decades worth of art from the renegade children’s book author and illustrator. Ungerer is an award winning illustrator and author who has published more than 140 books, ranging from his much loved children’s books to his controversial adult work. He’s famous for his sharp social satire and his witty aphorisms and he ranges from the fantastic to the autobiographical; in
the 1960s his political posters against the Vietnam War and racial injustice and his adult books caused many conservatives to boycott his kids books. Using a palette of 20th century events to paint the artist’s controversial life story, the film offers a retrospective of Ungerer’s life and art, and ponders the complexities and contradictions of a man who, armed with an acerbic wit, an accusing finger and a razor sharp pencil, gave visual representation to the revolutionary voices during one of the most tantalizing and dramatic periods in American history. From First Run Features. - “In a Town This Size” (2011): Documentary introduces an Oklahoma town and its long-ignored tragedy of child sexual abuse during the 1960s and 70s. Told through poignant first-person interviews with the victims, their families and professionals, these stories inform viewers about the lifelong harm of childhood sexual abuse, yet emphasize the resiliency of the human spirit: through determination, support and direct conversation, survivors can heal themselves and become advocates for change. From First Run Features.
- “The JFK Collection” (2013): History Channel three-disc set explores the life and legacy of the 35th president, and includes biographies of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Joseph P. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Ted Kennedy, along with never-before-seen lost Kennedy home movies filmed by Robert and Ethel Kennedy in the early 1950s. $19.98 from Lionsgate.
- “Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics” (2012): Feature-length documentary about DC Comics villains, from The Joker to Lex Luthor to Sinestro, exploring the thin line between right and wrong,
the nature of evil, and how super-villains can reflect society’s dark side as well as our own personal fears. It also attempts to uncover the reasons why comic book fans are so fascinated by the very characters they hope to see defeated. Included are interviews from over forty subjects, including: DC comic book writers, artists, executives, filmmakers, comic experts, critics, historians and celebrities. Contains footage from DC Entertainment’s animated series, TV shows, video games and live action films, as well as spotlighting hundreds of covers, pages and panels created by DC Comics’ legendary artists. Narrated by Christopher Lee with exclusive interviews with Richard Donner, Guillermo del Toro, Zack Snyder and more. Due October 25: on Blu-ray ($19.98) from Warner. - “Shepard & Dark” (2012): Documentary paints an indelible portrait of the complex relationship between Sam Shepard (the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and Academy Award-nominated actor and Johnny Dark, a homebody with a penchant for letter writing, photography and supporting himself with odd jobs from dog-catcher to deli worker. The two met in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s and, despite leading very different lives, remained close friends ever since. Through the decades, they stayed bonded by
family ties. Dark married an older woman named Scarlett and Shepard married her daughter. For years, the two couples lived together, until Shepard broke away for a relationship with Jessica Lange in 1983, leaving Johnny to help father his first son. Nevertheless, he and Dark continued writing to each other, amassing hundreds of letters. Director Treva Wurmfeld began filming the two friends in 2010 during a period of transition and reflection for Shepard. At the time, he had quietly ended his relationship with Lange and agreed to publish his correspondence with Dark. The task required them to meet and sift through years of their shared history, stirring memories both good and bad. Wurmfeld observes the two men over a period of 18 months and captures a complex male friendship rarely depicted on screen. Film Comment voted this one of the 50 Best Undistributed Films of 2012. From Music Box Films. - “The Waiting Room” (2012): A character-driven documentary that uses extraordinary access to go behind the doors of an American public hospital (in Oakland, Calif.) struggling to care for a community of largely uninsured patients. Young victims of gun violence take their turn alongside artists and small business owners. Steel workers, taxi cab drivers and international asylum seekers crowd the halls. The film — using a blend of cinema verite and characters’ voice over — offers a raw, intimate, and even uplifting look at how patients, executive staff and caregivers each cope with disease, bureaucracy and hard choices. From Cinedigm.
- “WWII: 3 Film Collection” (2013): Three History Channel specials that deconstruct the deadliest conflict in human history from three separate perspectives: “WWII in HD,” “WWII in HD: The Air War” and “WWII From Space.” Five-disc DVD, $24.98; four-disc Blu-ray, $29.99; from Lionsgate.