Against the Sun (DVD)
In one of the most harrowing true stories of World War II, three US Navy airmen (Tom Felton, Garret Dillahunt and Jake Abel) crash land their torpedo bomber in the South Pacific and find themselves on a tiny life raft, surrounded by open ocean. No food. No water. No hope of rescue. Against incredible odds, these three virtual strangers must survive storms, sharks, starvation — and each other — as they try to sail more than a thousand miles to safety.
The “lost at sea” narrative is not a new one, especially in recent years with a number of films dealing with similar subject matter being released with varying audience awareness. While most of the narrative occurs in a seemingly single location, there is still a lot involved in creating the scene. As is usually the case, these men confront starvation, dehydration, storms, a burning sun and sharks patiently awaiting their next meal. A lot of this is accomplished with special effects, but it also requires a capable cast to carry the story and maintain audience’s attention. None of these men are new to acting and they prove up to the challenge. The younger two further charm viewers by forming a bond as they drift, fantasizing about girls back home and initiating a daily routine of a pretend cup of coffee each morning.
Special features include: behind the scenes featurette; “A Plane Takes Flight”; “Starving at Sea”; “Working on Water”; “Blisters, Burns and Bites”; “Dressing the Part”; and “F/X On Set and Off.” (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
The Birder (DVD)
Bird enthusiast and high school teacher Ron Spencer (Tom Cavanagh) has seen his life fall down all around him: his students don’t respect him, his ex-wife has finally decided to throw him out, and worst of all, his daughter is drifting away from his teachings as a ‘birder’ toward more modern methods. When he loses out on his much-desired job as Head of Ornithology at the National Park to younger, hipper rival Floyd Hawkins (Jamie Spilchuk), he decides he’s not going down without a fight…but he’s going to need a little help. Ron unexpectedly bumps into Ben (Mark Rendall), a pot smoking slacker, and former student. The two quickly forge an unlikely friendship, bonding over their mutual hatred of Floyd. They set out on a haphazard campaign to take Floyd down and restore Ron’s bird watching legacy.
This is a quirky comedy that centres on an eccentric character who would otherwise be boring if he was not trying to inadequately sabotage someone. Ron lives a fairly dull life until losing out to Floyd lights a fire under him. But peculiar doesn’t necessarily equal funny or entertaining. Cavanagh plays Ron pretty straight with no extreme ups or downs. Ben is his complete opposite and the main reason Ron even considers the harebrained scheme to discredit Floyd, who is basically made out to be the nicest guy and completely undeserving of their contempt. Each of the actors fill their roles satisfactorily, but it’s simply not a memorable picture.
There are no special features. (Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada)
Champs (DVD)
From inner-city housing projects to the biggest stages in boxing, this documentary charts the lives of some of America’s heaviest hitters, including Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Bernard Hopkins, as they seek to break out of poverty via one of the few outlets available. Director Bert Marcus weaves their personal histories and footage from their biggest bouts to explore the meaning of the American dream in a society increasingly fragmented between rich and poor.
This month’s Mayweather-Pacquiao fight was one of the most watched fights in history, garnering the interest of everyone from diehard enthusiasts to casual fans to complete novices who never saw a match before and may never watch one again. Yet no matter your relationship to the sport there are names that everyone knows, particularly Tyson and Holyfield. And although everyone knows their names, far fewer know their origin stories. Even today, most boxers — regardless of their race — come from impoverished backgrounds. This film explores how boxing represents a way out and up for young black men, and how quickly they can end up right back where they started. In addition to talking about the past and present, they contemplate the future and the need for protections for the athletes who are often unaware they are being duped. In addition to the boxers, Marcus interviews sports journalists and celebrity admirers, including Mary J. Blige, Mark Wahlberg, Denzel Washington, Ron Howard and Spike Lee.
There are no special features. (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
The Cobbler (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Max Simkin (Adam Sandler) has had enough of working in his little New York shoe repair shop where he quietly envies people with more interesting lives. So when he discovers an old family heirloom with the magical ability to change his appearance and transform into any of his customers, the temptation is too good to pass up. However, his newfound ability to become someone else proves to be as troublesome as it is fun. When a ruthless real estate developer tries to take over his neighborhood, Max uses his gift to become the hero he always hoped he could be.
In a flashback, the elder cobbler is shown telling his son that the machine should be used sparingly and with it comes great responsibility (the classic and unoriginal super power speech). But it doesn’t take long for Max to begin abusing his power. While this seems like it should be a slam dunk comedy for Sandler, much of the picture falls flat. What seems like an obviously silly narrative tries to walk a line between family drama and ridiculous comedy — a combination that doesn’t co-exist comfortably. Sandler has proven competent in the roles of jester and straight man, and is therefore adequate in the part of a guy who wears both hats. And although he’s slated as the film’s star, there are a number of actors who contribute to his character as they must channel Sandler/Max in their performances. Steve Buscemi plays a trusted family friend with an authenticity likely inspired by his real-life friendship with Sandler. Dustin Hoffman‘s part as Max’s father is limited, though his brief time on screen is still predictably charming.
Special features include: making-of featurette; and trailer. (RLJE/Image Entertainment)
The Colbys: The Complete Series (DVD)
This spin-off from the television phenomenon, Dynasty, explores the lives and loves of a fabulously wealthy California family as they confront challenges from both outsiders and within their own lineage. To maintain power and control over their empire, The Colbys will stop at nothing… and you will love them for every juicy scheme and shocking betrayal they enact.
This by-product of the popular nighttime soap opera was launched at the original series’ peak and mid-way through its own television stay. However, it only lasted two seasons and many of the characters returned from whence they came after the show’s cancellation. This offshoot was meant to surpass its predecessor with a larger budget and more absurd storylines. To that end, they casted established actors, including Charlton Heston, Barbara Stanwyck and Katharine Ross. And even though it succeeded in the latter — the second season ended with an alien abduction — it just never hooked fans in the same way.
Special features include: new cast interviews with John James (“Jeff”), Maxwell Caulfield (“Miles”) and Stephanie Beacham (“Sable”). (Shout Factory)
The Drownsman (DVD)
After almost drowning in a lake, Madison (Michelle Mylett) finds herself bound to a life of fear. Unable to describe what happened to her during the moments she was underwater, she begins to develop hydrophobia: an abnormal fear of water. Crippled by her post trauma, Madison attempts to shut out the world. But her fear intensifies, and she is faced with the vision of a dark figure (Ry Barrett) that haunts her day and night. After watching her struggle for one year with the phobia and visions, Madison’s four friends attempt an unconventional intervention in which they accidentally open a floodgate to a dark place where none of them are safe. As Madison and her friends dive deeper into the dark history of this figure that haunts them, it reaches out and begins dragging them to a horrifying place from which they can never return.
This is a horror movie that seizes a rather extreme concept and runs with it, for which filmmakers must be given credit. They create a monster with its own rules, which they follow throughout the narrative – though there are still some unanswered questions by the end of the film. The result is a traditional approach that is sometimes creepy and occasionally repetitive. Nonetheless, the similarities to Freddy Krueger’s M.O. are undeniable. The way the Drownsman stalks the girls, replacing the occurrence of unconsciousness with water, and then draws them into his nightmare world is very familiar. The young women are adequate and picked off with no hesitation until the final girl is left to face him alone, as custom dictates.
There are no special features. (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
Halt and Catch Fire: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Set roughly one year after IBM all but corners the market with the release of its first major product – the IBM PC — a former IBM executive, Joe MacMillan (Lee Pace), plans to reverse engineer the flagship product of his former employer and force his current company, Cardiff Electric, into the personal computer race. MacMillan enlists the help of Gordon Clark (Scoot McNairy), a once great engineer who dreams of creating a revolutionary product while trying to manage his initially unsupportive wife Donna (Kerry Bishé), and Cameron Howe (Mackenzie Davis), a volatile prodigy who puts her future in jeopardy to join MacMillan’s rogue PC project.
Period TV shows are growing in popularity with networks. They follow ordinary lives during significant moments in history, or even depict the events and people who contributed to something noteworthy. Even though Cardiff Electric is a fictional company, its entry into the race for computer superiority mirrors that of Compaq Computer around the same time. While the technical elements need to be accurate in this type of series, the focus is still clearly on the characters who must find a way to function amidst the chaos. Donna is wonderful representation of the career woman who was expected to do it all and take on more when her husband’s work becomes more demanding. Her arguments with Gordon are very telling of the times. While all the characters are important, Joe is the other one to draw the viewer’s attention as they try to decipher what, if anything, he says is true. All the actors do a great job bringing this geeky yet fascinating narrative to life.
Special features include: “Inside Episodes 101-110”; “”Re-making the 80s”; “Rise of the Digital Cowboys”; and “Setting the Fire: Research and Technology.” (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
Just Before I Go (DVD)
Ted Morgan (Seann William Scott) has been treading water for most of his life. After his wife leaves him, Ted realizes he has nothing left to live for. Summoning the courage for one last act, he decides to go home and face the people he feels are responsible for creating the shell of a person he has become. But life is tricky. The more determined Ted is to confront his demons, to get closure, and to withdraw from his family, the more Ted is yanked into the chaos of their lives. So, when Ted Morgan decides to kill himself, he finds a reason to live.
Friends star Courteney Cox’s feature directorial debut is also based on a first-time feature screenwriter’s script. At least the actors are relatively experienced. It’s still difficult to take Scott seriously in many roles. Morgan never really appears depressed, but rather invigorated by the task of completing his list. In spite of repeatedly reaffirming he will kill himself after it’s all said and done, he just isn’t convincing. But if you remove that element from the equation and simply view the narrative as the story about a guy who goes home to confront his past and instead becomes entangled in their present, it works much better. The light-hearted drama could have used a little more direction, but the performances still manage to keep it afloat.
Special features include: commentary by director Couteney Cox. (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
Murder of a Cat (DVD)
When someone murders his beloved cat, Clinton (Fran Kranz), an adult child, demands justice. Taking it upon himself to solve the case, he teams up with an unlikely ally, Greta (Nikki Reed), and the two set out to find the culprit lurking in their small suburban town. But as Clinton searches for the truth, he begins to uncover a conspiracy that goes far deeper than he anticipated.
This is an off-the-wall comedy that takes the oddball detective story and sets it in a suburban neighbourhood in which the worst crime is a murdered cat. Kranz is the perfect eccentric, still pining for his bankrupt business and failed line of action figures. In his early 30s, Clinton is already the old man that yells at children from his lawn in a bathrobe. Reed plays his polar opposite — a carefree, risk-taker who is a little more familiar with the seedy, local underbelly than Clinton. They say opposites attract, but this is a pretty extreme example of a mismatched couple. The developments in the case remain fairly unpredictable right up until the end when Clinton finally confronts the feline assassin.
There are no special features. (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
Power: The Complete First Season (Blu-ray)
James “Ghost” St. Patrick (Omari Hardwick) has it all: a beautiful wife, a gorgeous Manhattan penthouse, and the hottest, up-and-coming new nightclub in New York. His club, Truth, caters to the elite: the famous and infamous boldface names that run the city that never sleeps. As the club’s success grows, so do Ghost’s plans to build an empire. However, Truth hides an ugly reality. It’s a front for Ghost’s criminal underworld; a lucrative drug network, serving only the wealthy and powerful. As Ghost is seduced by the prospect of a legitimate life, everything precious to him becomes unknowingly threatened.
Drug dealing stories are not new to television, but they have not been told from this perspective before now. Rather than watch the story of a man rising to the top, the narrative begins with Ghost and his partner, Tommy, already sitting at the top of the local drug dealing business. Instead it follows two men who feel very differently about their connection to organized crime. Ghost is either looking to reach the level of cartel leader, which would remove him from the complications of day-to-day business, or to get out entirely and become a nightclub tycoon. Tommy and Ghost’s wife, on the other hand, are happy with the status quo that pays regularly and copiously. There are numerous difficulties that arise, not the least of which is an investigation by local authorities. None of this is unfamiliar territory for a crime drama, but the fresh point of view makes it worth watching.
Special features include: “The New Series”; “The Style of Power”; “NYC – The City of Power”; and “The Music of Power.” (Anchor Bay Entertainment)
Rawhide: The Complete Series (DVD)
These eight seasons collect Rowdy Yates’ (Clint Eastwood) and Gil Favor’s (Eric Fleming) adventures battling rustlers, hostile tribes and deadly gunslingers on their cattle drive along the Sedalia Trail.
This is the longest running Western in TV history. Following A Fistful of Dollars, the recurring role made Eastwood a household name and staple of the genre. Fleming remained the star of the show for the entirety of its run, though Eastwood’s part did grow from a minimal speaking role to Fleming’s equal. Though they’re cattle drivers, most of the episodes have little to do with herding animals. They assist a U.S. Marshall transporting prisoners, protect people being hunted by Natives and confront an assassin in the hills. Nonetheless, creators developed more than 200 episodes that kept audiences coming back week after week with the title of each episode beginning with “Incident at” or “Incident of.”
Special features include: episode previews on select episodes; and sponsor spots. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)
Still Alice (Blu-ray)
Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. When she receives a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, Alice and her family find their bonds thoroughly tested.
In a word, this film is terrifying — in a good way. Its realistic portrayal of Alice’s experiences is undeniably depressing, but remarkably expressive. This is owed to an exceptionally well-written script based on the book of the same name and more so to a stellar performance by Moore (she was a shoo-in for the best actress Oscar). It’s not often the story of someone with Alzheimer’s is seen from the perspective of the victim. But Alice is shown through the diseases many stages while the film explores her feelings and thoughts about its repercussions to the extent that while she’s healthy she even records a video for her to watch when she’s reached a more advanced stage of the illness. A film dealing with this subject can easily fall prey to the pitfalls of appearing to be nothing more than a bigger budget Lifetime movie-of-the-week, but it never falters for an instant.
Special features include: deleted scenes; “Directing Alice”; interview with composer Ilan Eshkeri; and “Finding Alice.” (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)
Walker, Texas Ranger: The Complete Series (DVD)
A modern-day peace officer with a Wild West sense of resolve, Ranger Cordell Walker (Chuck Norris) is ably assisted by fellow Ranger James Trivette (Clarence Gilyard, Jr.), Assistant District Attorney Alexandra Cahill (Sheree J. Wilson), and retired ex-partner CD Parker (Noble Willingham). The tough-minded attempts to maintain law and order in a tumultuous world. But when the going gets tough, the tough guys get their lights punched out.
After playing the hero in numerous ‘80s action movies, it was time for Norris to hang up the camouflage and heavy artillery to become a champion of a different sort. On the small screen, Norris put on a badge and continued to use impressive karate skills to takedown the bad guys – although now he was usually putting them away instead of putting them underground. For fans of the action star, this was a slightly toned down version of what they were already accustomed to so it worked out well for everybody. The rest of the cast fit in well with the established narrative, building a good repertoire between Walker and Trivette and sexual tension between the star and Cahill.
Special features not available. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)
The Wild, Wild West: The Complete Series (DVD)
Ladies’ man James West (Robert Conrad) and his clever sidekick Artemus Gordon (Ross Martin) serve and protect President Ulysses S. Grant, tracking criminal masterminds across the rugged countryside. Long before the days of high-speed car chases and computer hacking, these two daredevils race from coast to coast in a plush railroad car, relying on ingenious disguises and quick wits to take down America’s most wanted criminals. Armed with high-tech gadgets and deadly weaponry, these masters of illusion can jump into action at a moment’s notice.
Though Westerns once ruled the television landscape, they eventually began to give way to spy thrillers. This series is an example of TV execs attempting to meld the two genres, doubling their fan base by attracting viewers from both camps. Mixed with a healthy dose of humour, the series was actually quite successful but was cancelled after four seasons due to its depictions of violence. The 1999 Will Smith movie is based on this series and emphasized its steampunk properties. Each episode title began with “The Night” and the common elements included beautiful women, crafty gadgets and megalomaniacal villains posing some threat to the United States.
Special features not available. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)
