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OnVideo's Weekly Guide to Home Video Releases
Fire: Drama follows a battle-tested team sent to the scene of a forest fire deep in the Russian interior. As the inferno engulfs everything in its path, Alexey will have to learn to rely on Roman, as the firefighters all band together to save a village and its residents from total destruction. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & date)
Here Today: When veteran comedy writer Charlie Burnz (Billy Crystal) meets New York singer Emma Payge (Tiffany Haddish), they form an unlikely yet hilarious and touching friendship that kicks the generation gap aside and redefines the meaning of love and trust. (DVD, Blu-ray release: August 3)
House of Quarantine: Nine people have been locked down together in a house while trying to shoot a movie. Unknowingly, one of their group is infected with COVID-19. The next three weeks become a life and death struggle for survival with no help from the outside amidst a global pandemic and national chaos. (VOD)
Hydra: After retiring as an assassin, Takashi leads a quiet life as a chef at a sushi bar, where he secretly watches over the daughter of a former associate. His peace is short-lived: soon, he is recruited for a final job that he simply can’t refuse. (DVD, Blu-ray release: Day & date)
Room 9: Forty years ago, Room 9 of the Johnson/Bedford Inn, located in a remote small town, was the site of a gruesome double murder. Decades later, with the town terrorized once again by a string of bloody ritual killings, a mysterious woman named Star arrives to investigate and suffers bizarre flashbacks related to the inn’s slayings. (DVD release: Day & date)
Victim of Love: The Copenhagen streets lead to the doorway of hell in Jesper Isaksen's stylish horror thriller. Charly (Rudi Køhnke) has unwillingly returned to his hometown Copenhagen in order to search for his American girlfriend Amy, who disappeared under strange circumstances at a hotel. Charly decides to revisit the hotel but is soon distracted by possible criminal activities in the room next door, by the tempting bartender Felicia (Siff Andersson) and his own faltering sense of judgment. (Apple TV, DirecTV, Google Play, Prime Video, FandangoNOW and more; DVD: August 10)
The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It: A chilling story of terror, murder and unknown evil that shocked even experienced real-life paranormal investigators Ed and Lorraine Warren. One of the most sensational cases from their files, it starts with a fight for the soul of a young boy, then takes them beyond anything they’d ever seen before, to mark the first time in U.S. history that a murder suspect would claim demonic possession as a defense. (DVD, Blu-ray release: August 24)
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard: The world’s most lethal odd couple — bodyguard Michael Bryce and hit man Darius Kincaid — are back for another life-threatening mission. Still unlicensed and under scrutiny, Bryce is forced into action by Darius’s even more volatile wife. Soon, all three are in over their heads when a madman’s sinister plot threatens to leave Europe in total chaos. (DVD, Blu-ray release: August 17)
Midnight in the Switchgrass: While in Florida on another case, FBI agents Helter (Bruce Willis) and Lombardo (Megan Fox) cross paths with state cop Crawford (Emile Hirsch), who’s investigating a string of female murders that appear to be related. Lombardo and Crawford team up for an undercover sting, but it goes horribly wrong, plunging Lombardo into grave danger and pitting Crawford against a serial killer in a twisted game of cat and mouse. (DVD, Blu-ray release: July 27)
Born for Hell
(1976) In 1976, Montreal filmmaker Denis Héroux -- future director of "The Uncanny" and Oscar-nominated producer of "Atlantic City" -- adapted the true story of Chicago mass murderer Richard Speck to war-torn Belfast, where a disturbed Vietnam vet drifter (Mathieu Carrière of "Malpertuis" and "Bilitis" fame) brutalizes a dorm full of student nurses. Re-edited by its
Code 3: LA Sheriff's Case Files
(1957) All 39 episodes. In 1957, Hal Roach Studios and producer Ben Fox brought the fast paced police drama "Code 3" to television. It starred Richard Travis as Sheriff George Barrett of the Los Angeles County Police Department with Denver Pyle as Sgt. Murchison and Fredd Wayne as Sgt. Bill Hollis. Like its sister series "Dragnet," "Code 3" featured true crime cases -- this time from the files of the search & rescue branch of the Los Angeles Police Department -- always “changing the names to protect the innocent.” At the end of most of the broadcasts, the real-life Sheriff of Los Angeles County, Eugene W. Biscailuz, made an appearance to recap that night’s adventure. Formats: DVD. (MPI Media Group).
Dream Horse
(2021 -- UK) Toni Collette, Damian Lewis, Owen Teale, Peter Davison. Tells the inspiring true story of Dream Alliance, an unlikely race horse bred by small town Welsh bartender Jan Vokes (Collette). With very little money and no experience, Jan convinces her neighbors to chip in their meager earnings to help raise Dream in the hopes he can compete with the racing elites. The group's investment pays off as Dream rises through the ranks with grit and determination and goes on to race in the Welsh Grand National, showing the heart of a true champion.
Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Bleecker Street/Universal).
Fire (aka No Escapes; Ogon [original title])
(2020 -- Russia) Konstantin Khabenskiy, Andrey Smolyakov, Irina Gorbacheva, Victor Dobronravov. Alexey Sokolov, who commands a team of Aerial Forest Protection Service firefighters, is a tough, decisive man who will fight ruthlessly for every last tree in the forest. His daughter Katya is dating Roman, a rookie firefighter from Moscow, whom Alexey takes along with his battle-tested team to the scene of a forest fire deep in the Russian interior. As the inferno engulfs everything in its path, Alexey will have to learn to rely on Roman, as the firefighters all band together to save a village and its residents from total destruction. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, VOD, Digital. (Shout! Factory).
Gangs of London: Season 1
(2020) Three-disc set with all 10 episodes. The series tells the story of London being torn apart by the turbulent power struggles of its international gangs and the sudden power vacuum that's created when the head of London's most powerful crime family is assassinated. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: "An Inside Look at The World, The Families, The Action, The Power, The Soldier,' "Anatomy of an Action Scene: Pub Fight & Elliot vs Len." (RLJE Films).
Gully
(2021) Kelvin Harrison Jr., Jacob Latimore, Charlie Plummer. Three teens living in LA, all victims of extreme childhoods, wreak a hedonistic riot across the city over the course of 48 hours, unbound by societal norms. They take us on a rip-roaring ride of drugs and murder across the city. Formats: DVD. (Paramount).
I Wouldn’t Be in Your Shoes BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1948) An out of work husband-and-wife dance team soon find themselves in more dire straits when the husband is wrongly accused of murder, while his wife sets out to prove his innocence. Based on the novel by Cornell Woolrich. Stars Don Castle, Elyse Knox, Regis Toomey. (Warner Archive).
Jakob’s Wife
(2021) Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, Bonnie Aarons. Anne, married to a small-town minister, feels like her life and marriage have been shrinking over the past 30 years. After a chance encounter with “The Master,” she discovers a new sense of power and an appetite to live bigger and bolder than before. As Anne is increasingly torn between her enticing new existence and her life before, the body count grows and Jakob realizes he will have to fight for the wife he took for granted.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. Extras: "The Making Of Jakob’s Wife," Deleted Scenes. (RLJE Films).
Nana
(1926) "Nana" is Jean Renoir’s second feature, and one of his most ambitious productions, presented here in a new 4K restoration. It is an elaborately mounted adaptation of Émile Zola’s novel that tracks the doomed romances of its title character -- an actress who would go on to be the most notorious courtesan of her era. When her father dies, a young girl is sent to live with her uncle. Mistreated, she runs away to lead a vagabond’s life in the forest. When she is found, she becomes Nana, a fashionable actress of loose morals, becoming first the mistress of a count, and then of the Emperor’s chamberlain. Nana’s love affairs are set against gorgeously mounted sets designed by Claude Autant-Lara. Formats: Blu-ray. (Kino Classics).
Rock Paper Scissors
(2021) Vahe Sevani, Bjorn Yearwood, Jenna Aitken, Joey De Marco, Jeremy Dozier. Best friends Kelvin and Cheddar, invariably avoiding the constant threat of wedgies, will do anything to stop being losers and start being the cool kids in school. Permanently placed in the friend zone by ladies, bullied on a daily basis by the jocks and dying to be noticed by anyone, they have one final chance: to win the ultra-cutthroat International Tournament of Rock Paper Scissors. Formats: DVD, VOD, Digital. (Indican Pictures).
Room 9
(2021) Michael Berryman, Scout Taylor-Compton, Kane Hodder. Forty years ago, Room 9 of the Johnson/Bedford Inn, located in a remote small town, was the site of a gruesome double murder. Decades later, with the town terrorized once again by a string of bloody ritual killings, a mysterious woman named Star arrives to investigate and suffers bizarre flashbacks related to the inn’s slayings. Formats: DVD, VOD. (Lionsgate). Read more here.
Shameless: The Eleventh and Final Season
(2020-21) Three-disc set with all 12 episodes. The final season finds the Gallaghers at a crossroads…and they aren’t leaving without a fight. As Frank confronts his own mortality, Lip struggles with the prospect of becoming the family patriarch. Newlyweds Ian and Mickey figure out their committed relationship, while Deb embraces her individuality and single motherhood. Lastly, Carl finds an unlikely new career in law enforcement, while Kevin and Veronica struggle to keep the Alibi profitable during a pandemic.
Formats: DVD, Digital. Extras: "The Last Call": Showtime’s hour-long post-finale virtual cast reunion; deleted scenes. (Warner).
Star Trek: Discovery - Season Three
(2020-21) Four-disc set with all 13 episodes. After following Commander Burnham into a wormhole in the second season finale, season three finds the crew of the U.S.S. Discovery landing in an unknown future far from the home they once knew. Now living in a time filled with uncertainty, the U.S.S. Discovery crew, along with the help of some new friends, must work together to restore hope to the Federation. Formats: DVD, Blu-ray, Limited Edition Blu-ray Steelbook. Extras: "Star Trek Discovery: The Voyage Of Season 3" behind-the-scenes featurette; "Stunted" featurette; "Being Michael Burnham" with actor Sonequa Martin-Green; "Kenneth Mitchell: To Boldly Go": Traditionally the man behind the mask in Discovery, Kenneth Mitchell is unveiled as Aurellio in the third season. Featuring cast and crew interviews, this emotional and intimate look touches on Kenneth’s life with ALS. Discussed on camera for the first time, the featurette highlights how Kenneth's wheelchair was included for his on-screen character, his own take on the various roles he played in Discovery and what those roles mean to the show; "Bridge Building" featurette on Starship Discovery’s Bridge Crew; "Writer’s Log: Michelle Paradise" about shooting the beginning of season three in Iceland; deleted scenes; gag reel.(CBS/Paramount).
Step by Step BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1946) Marine veteran Johnny Christopher and Evelyn Smith, a secretary to a U.S. Senator, find themselves caught up in a plot involving Nazi spies in California. Stars Lawrence Tierney, Anne Jeffreys, Lowell Gilmore. (Warner Archive).
Take Me Out to the Ball Game BLU-RAY DEBUT
(1949) Whether its Batter up! or Curtain Up!, Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly are ready when they play early-1900s vaudevillians who spend the winter performing onstage and the summer performing on the field. Directed by Busby Berkeley and co-starring Esther Williams. (Warner Archive).
32 Malasana Street
(2020 -- Spain) Begoña Vargas, Iván Marcos, Bea Segura. In this horror- thriller, the Olmedo family decides to leave their village behind for a fresh start in the city and buy an old apartment at 32 Malasana Street for a suspiciously reasonable price. But soon after they’ve unpacked their bags, they discover something about their new home: they aren't alone ... Formats: DVD, Digital. (RLJE Films).
Thunderbolt
(1929) From Josef von Sternberg, the legendary director of "The Blue Angel," "Morocco" and "Blonde Venus," comes this Pre-Code proto-noir that mixes electrifying thrills with torrid romance. Condemned gangster Thunderbolt Jim Lang (George Bancroft) plots revenge on the young man (Richard Arlen) who stole his girlfriend (Fay Wray) and landed next to him on death row. Featuring script work by Charles Furthman ("Underworld") and Jules Furthman ("The Big Sleep") with Hollywood greats Herman J. Mankiewicz ("Citizen Kane") and Joseph L. Mankiewicz ("All About Eve"), "Thunderbolt" is an emotional drama renowned for its pioneering use of early sound technology, expressionistic visuals and bold blending of genres.
Formats: DVD, Blu-ray. (Kino Lorber Studio Classics).
The Walking Dead Season Ten
(2019-2021) All 22 episodes. Winter has turned to spring, and the collected communities are grudgingly respecting the new borders imposed upon them by the ever-brutal Alpha. But having organized themselves into a militia-style fighting force, the survivors are keenly aware that the Whisperers, and the horde of dead they mingle with, pose a threat unlike any they’ve ever faced. Paranoia, propaganda, secret agendas, infighting – all of these will test the group, individually and collectively, with the survival of civilization in a world filled with the walking dead hanging in the balance. Featuring the six additional episodes of the extended 10th season, including Negan’s long-awaited backstory, “Here’s Negan.” Formats: DVD, Blu-ray + Digital Code. Extras: "In Memoriam," audio commentaries. (Lionsgate).
Whirlpool of Fate
(1925) Jean Renoir’s debut feature is a lyrical tale of the tragic life of an orphan girl. An independent feature shot on family friend Paul Cézanne’s property, La Nicotiere, it is a dreamy episodic melodrama that follows the poor girl as she endures the loss of her father, the abuse of her alcoholic uncle, and a perilous fall down a well that erases her memory and triggers surreal dreams. Presented in a beautiful new 4K restoration," Whirlpool of Fate" gives an early glimpse of Renoir’s immense talent. Formats: Blu-ray. (Kino Lorber Classics).
The Wraith
(1986) Charlie Sheen, Nick Cassavetes, Sherilyn Fenn, Randy Quaid. When four glowing orbs crash into each other over the Arizona desert, they leave in their wake a badass Dodge Turbo Interceptor — and its enigmatic, helmeted driver. The next day, the mysterious Jake (Sheen) appears in the town of Brooks, catching the eye of Keri (Fenn) and the ire of Packard (Cassavetes), the ruthless leader of a gang of street racers. When gang members start losing races — and lives — to the Interceptor, the recent death of Keri’s boyfriend suddenly seems connected to the arrival of Jake, the unbeatable car ... and an avenging entity called The Wraith. Formats: Blu-ray + Digital Code. Extras: Audio commentary with writer-director Mike Marvin, audio commentary with Actors Dave Sherrill and Jamie Bozian, “Tales from the Desert” interview with writer-director Mike Marvin, “Rughead Speaks!” interview with actor Clint Howard, “Ride of the Future” interviews with stunt coordinator Buddy Joe Hooker and transportation coordinator Gary Hellerstein, “The Ghost Car” interviews with visual effects producer Peter Kuran and effects animator Kevin Kutchaver, isolated score selections featuring audio interview with co-composer J. Peter Robinson, “The Wraith Filming Locations: Then and Now” featurette, alternate title sequence, still gallery, theatrical trailer, TV spots. (Vestron Video Collector’s Series/Lionsgate).
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