Barbershop: The Next Cut (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
It’s been more than 10 years since our last appointment at Calvin’s Barbershop. Calvin (Ice Cube) and his long-time crew, including Eddie (Cedric the Entertainer), are still there, but the shop has undergone some major changes. Most noticeably, the once male-dominated sanctuary is now co-ed. The ladies bring their own flavour, drama and gossip to the shop challenging the fellas at every turn. Despite the good times, big laughs and camaraderie within the shop, the surrounding community has taken a turn for the worse, forcing Calvin and his friends to come together in an effort to not only save the shop, but their neighbourhood.
The fact that the barbershop now employs men and women really changes the dynamic of the place as there’s a lot more conversation, gossip and hair emergencies. However, most of the drama occurs outside of the shop as local gang activity escalates and the parents worry their sons’ proximity to the violence will eventually lead to their involvement. Thus, in addition to the regular, expected quarrels and ribbing, there’s some serious discussion about the declining state of the neighbourhood and impact of nearby gangs. On the flipside, Calvin is also privately contemplating a big move that could significantly change the barbershop’s dynamic.
Special features include: deleted scenes with Malcolm D. Lee; “The Next Cut: Barbershop Bootcamp”; and gag reel. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
The Boy Who Cried Werewolf (Blu-ray)
Richie Bridgestone’s parents are getting a divorce, but that’s the least of his problems at the moment. While on a visit to his father’s secluded cabin, Richie witnesses his dad being attacked by a werewolf. Much like the tale of the boy who cried wolf, no one in the town will believe Richie’s claims that his father will change into a werewolf at the next full moon.
This is somewhat of an atypical werewolf movie as the focus is less on the man-turned-beast and instead on the boy who insists on the monster’s existence. The adults chalk it up to the child’s imagination and while there’s evidence of something tearing people apart, it certainly couldn’t be a werewolf. Of course his ravings reach a new level when he begins to claim the violent creature is also his father by-day. The actual transformation is relatively low-budget and choppy, relying on obvious stop-motion techniques to create the effect. But the conclusion is also representative of the bleaker tales that populated the horror genre in the ‘70s.
Special features include: still gallery; and theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)
Criminal (Blu-ray)
In a last-ditch effort to stop a diabolical plot, a dead CIA operative’s memories, secrets, and skills are implanted into Jericho Stewart (Kevin Costner), an unpredictable and dangerous death-row inmate, in hopes that he will complete the operative’s mission.
Ryan Reynolds seems to have a soft spot for sci-fi pictures that involve the transfer of personalities and memories between people as this is his second movie on the subject in the span of a year. However in contrast to Self/Less, this is much more of an action movie than a drama. Jericho is always on the run trying to sort out the memories of the man in his head, while also tapping into his skills to evade the authorities. Unfortunately the CIA hold their cards close to the chest, so the purpose of the experiment is a little ambiguous for both the audience and Jericho. Costner is a pretty formidable bad guy and has a rather convincing approach to playing a man without emotions of his own.
Special features include: deleted scenes; “Criminal Intent”; “Director’s Notes” and Madsonik’s “Drift and Fall Again” music video. (Lionsgate & VVS Films)
Death Wish II [Special Edition] (Blu-ray)
With the murder of his wife and the revenge against her killers now behind him, Kersey (Charles Bronson) begins a new life in Los Angeles. But tragedy is never far from his door and when a group of local hoods viciously assault his daughter, they unleash a wrath unlike anything the city has ever seen. Kersey has the face of each of them branded in his memory, and he will not rest until he tracks every one of them down and puts them all in the ground.
In some ways, these are the original Taken films except Kersey is seeking straight-up revenge rather than rescue. In comparison, the punishment is also much tamer than the crime. As was the case with such films of the ‘70s and early ‘80s, the early rape scene is incredibly graphic and brutal. Conversely, Kersey’s retaliation is generally quick and efficient (vs. rape-revenge pictures in which the prey becomes the hunter and violently seeks retribution). As a result, this gritty commentary on inner city crime and vigilantism is rather subdued, especially when compared to some of its contemporaries. Nonetheless, Bronson has the calm demeanour and fatal instinct that made these film’s iconic.
Special features include: theatrical and unrated versions of film; commentary by author Paul Talbot (Bronson’s Loose!: The Making Of The Death Wish Films); and theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)
Gang Related (Blu-ray)
Having framed an innocent man (Dennis Quaid) for the murder of an undercover DEA agent, corrupt detectives Rodriguez and Divinci (Tupac Shakur and James Belushi) find their lives unravelling when their activities come under the scrutiny of DEA investigator Richard Simms (Gary Cole).
This is more-or-less a buddy cop comedy featuring an unlikely pair with differing levels of acting ability; Belushi carries the team well and Shakur does well enough. The humour is in their repeated attempts to cover-up their thoughtless crime, which initially includes trying to pin it on every repeat offender they come across and then trying to fabricate evidence to ensure the murder is never traced back to them. But it’s not easy keeping that many lies involving that many people alive and they slowly begin to fall apart under the pressure. Quaid has an interesting role to play as an incoherent drunk who eventually regains his senses and reveals an even more unbelievable secret (with equally impossible ramifications).
There are no special features. (Olive Films)
Hardcore Henry (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
You remember nothing. Mainly because you’ve just been brought back from the dead by your wife (Haley Bennett). She tells you that your name is Henry. Five minutes later, you are being shot at, your wife has been kidnapped, and you should probably go get her back. Who’s got her? His name’s Akan (Danila Kozlovsky); he’s a powerful warlord with an army of mercenaries, and a plan for world domination. You’re also in the unfamiliar city of Moscow, and everyone wants you dead… everyone except for a mysterious British fellow called Jimmy (Sharlto Copley). He may be on your side, but you aren’t sure. If you can survive the insanity, and solve the mystery, you might just discover your purpose and the truth behind your identity.
Anyone who’s played first-person video games will find this film’s perspective very familiar as it is shown entirely from Henry’s perspective. Using modern technology and skilled stunt men, audiences parkour through the streets, partake in shootouts and fisticuffs, and feel the betrayal of those Henry trusts first-hand. This experience may have been overwhelming on a large screen, but at home it’s rather fascinating to see everything in this manner. While Henry is a silent yet deadly character, Jimmy is rather amusing. There’s a lot of mystery initially surrounding Jimmy, but Copley is visibly having fun portraying this seeming chameleon. Shot in Russia because the safety laws are laxer and provided the flexibility required by such a unique endeavour, this film likely represents the future of virtual reality filmmaking.
Special features include: deleted scenes; commentary by director/producer Ilya Naishuller and star/executive producer Sharlto Copley; and “Fan Chat,” director Ilya Naishuller and star Sharlto Copley answer fan questions about how the film was made. (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Hellhole (Blu-ray & DVD)
Having witnessed her mother’s brutal death, Susan (Judy Landers) gets amnesia from a fall while being pursued by the killer, Silk (Ray Sharkey). Awakening in Ashland Sanitarium, she is once again terrorized by Silk who’s disguised as an orderly. To pry an incriminating secret from Susan’s brain, Silk forms an uneasy alliance with Dr. Fletcher (Mary Woronov), a psychotic scientist who has been testing a new lobotomy technique, using helpless inmates as her guinea pigs. These vicious experiments are carried out in the “Hellhole,” a torture den awaiting Susan as its next victim.
This movie makes very little sense as a whole or in sections. In spite of Susan’s total amnesia, the killer that caused it refuses to simply let her live ignorantly of the crime or simply murder her to close the loop. Instead, he repeatedly taunts her as if they need her to remember something but are not specific about what that might be or why they need her. In the meantime, there’s of course a handsome young orderly who befriends Susan, and offers her protection from the crazier residents and administrators of the sanitarium.
Special features include: interview with actress Mary Woronov; and theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)
Hoodlum (Blu-ray)
Focusing on the relationship between the three rival leaders, “Bumpy” Johnson (Laurence Fishburne), Dutch Schultz (Tim Roth) and Lucky Luciano (Andy Garcia), the film recounts the uneasy alliance between the Italian and Jewish mafias who banded together to declare war on the black gangsters of New York’s Harlem in the 1920’s.
In the same vein as The Godfather, Goodfellas and other gangster films, this movie chronicles all sides of a turf war as each group competes to take control of the local numbers racket. The escalation of violence and evolution of the characters are fascinating as their attempts to negotiate turn into a blood bath and a contest of who can create the higher body count. Each of the actors selected to play these significant personalities bring something unique and captivating to their portrayals, yet Johnson is still clearly the main focus of the film. Expectedly the film becomes increasingly darker as the war becomes all-encompassing, while the conclusion adopts the approach of early gangster pictures required to punish criminals for their wrongdoing.
There are no special features. (Olive Films)
I Am Wrath (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Stanley Hill (John Travolta) is a former Black Ops agent who witnessed his wife’s death at the hands of a street gang. When corrupt cops let the prime suspect walk, Stanley takes the law into his own hands. Joined by a former comrade-in-arms, Denis (Christopher Meloni), Stanley uncovers a conspiracy that leads to the upper ranks of government, as he heads toward a guns-blazing, take-no-prisoners showdown for justice.
This is a pretty straight-up vengeance narrative in which a gang-for-hire unsurprisingly crosses a guy who used to be special ops. Except he doesn’t immediately return to his gun-toting roots; he initially tries to seek justice through the system. However when it fails him, it takes one phone call and a strategically hidden bag to get him back in the game. His search for his wife’s killers is not especially subtle and the trail of bodies left in his wake grows rapidly. Yet the camaraderie between Stanley and Denis brings a dark humour to the otherwise conventional story. Travolta remains a passable badass, while Meloni is still best when sporting a grin and a gun.
Special features include: commentary by director Chuck Russell and screenwriter/actor Paul Sloan. (Lionsgate)
The Outsider (Blu-ray)
The film is a fictional account of Irish-American Michael Flaherty (Craig Wasson), a disillusioned Vietnam vet who returns home to an apathetic country. Inspired by the Irish Republican Army and the dedication of its members, Michael travels to Ireland to join their cause only to realize that he’s being used as a propaganda tool.
This is an intricate drama that buries most of its meaning in carefully chosen words, tradition and subterfuge. As much as Michael’s heart is in the right place, he doesn’t really have an understanding of the age old politics to which he’s attempting to gain access. It does paint the picture of an unfeeling IRA willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to further the cause, but it also tells an interesting story of lost young man trying to reconnect with his roots, do what he thinks is right and apply the combat skills he’s learned to Vietnam to a subjectively more legitimate campaign. However the film’s final revelation puts it all into perspective and has an enormous impact on the preceding narrative.
There are no special features. (Olive Films)
The Ratings Game (Blu-ray)
A New Jersey trucking magnate’s (Danny DeVito) only dream is hitting it big as a Hollywood producer. Luckily for him, he has a girlfriend (Rhea Perlman) who works for the TV ratings service. Together they pull off a hilarious scam on television’s sacred ratings system.
In spite of being relatively popular comedic actors a few decades ago, it was rare for husband-and-wife duo, DeVito and Perlman, to take the screen together. However in this picture, also directed by DeVito, the pair demonstrate they have equally great chemistry on screen. Moreover, both are perfect for the parts they portray: he’s a guy with big dreams trying to wiggle his way into the Hollywood elite and she’s level-headed with a big heart and keen sense of revenge. Much of the rest of the actors are a who’s who of ‘80s casting as so many recognizable faces appear throughout the picture, though you may only be able to identify them as, “that guy/woman from that thing.”
There are no special features. (Olive Films)
River (Blu-ray)
In the south of Laos, John (Rossif Sutherland), an American doctor, becomes a fugitive after he intervenes in the sexual assault of a young woman. When the assailant’s body is pulled from the Mekong River, things quickly spiral out of control.
The morality of Sutherland’s character is ambiguous. On the one hand, John is a doctor who feels obligated to aid those in need and whose judgement was clouded by alcohol. Conversely he took a life and is trying to escape the consequences, manipulating innocent acquaintances and leaving them to deal with the aftermath of his deceptions. He is undoubtedly credible as the self-absorbed man on the run whose priorities shift drastically when his own well-being is threatened. Most of the weight of the narrative is balanced on Sutherland’s shoulders; a task he carries with his head held high. The constant running can become a little tedious before the end of the picture, but the choice John faces at its conclusion defines his character.
There are no special features. (Well Go USA)
