C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud (Blu-ray)
Kevin, Steve, and Katie are an inseparable trio of friends doing some extracurricular snooping in the school science lab when, among the test tubes and beakers, they discover a corpse. But before they can say “Abra Cadaver,” the body disappears, rolling down Route 51 strapped to a gurney. The kids need a spare stiff and fast. What they find is “Bud the Chud,” a half-dead decomposing humanoid, the result of a military experiment gone haywire. When Bud sets out on a killing spree, the kids, the Army, the police, and the FBI are hot on his trail, trying to save the entire town from becoming “Chudified.”
The title of this film is an homage to George Romero’s Day of the Dead as the main zombie that displays some signs of having been human in that movie is named Bub; in addition, his organization of a C.H.U.D. army occurs to some degree in Land of the Dead, though that was released years later. More importantly, this picture is an upfront goofy comedy in which a group of kids get in way too deep and the army is led by incompetent men with outrageous dialogue. Bud’s interactions with the world are the key source of humour, including his fascination with aerobics and interaction with a small, naïve child.
Special features include: commentary by director David Irving; interview with actor Gerrit Graham; interview with actress Tricia Leigh Fisher; interview with special effects artist Allan Apone; and still gallery. (Lionsgate)
Hannie Caulder (Blu-ray)
Hannie (Raquel Welch) is a widow sworn to avenge her own brutal rape and husband’s murder at the hands of Emmett (Ernest Borgnine), Frank (Jack Elam), and Rufus (Strother Martin), three of the most despicable scoundrels to have ever roamed the prairie. Eager for revenge, but lacking the gunfighter’s know-how, Hannie soon discovers new confidence and skill when bounty hunter Thomas Luther Price (Robert Culp) teaches her the way of the gun. In no time, Hannie is strapping on her six shooter and setting out to put a few notches on its handle.
While most rape-revenge pictures tend to fall under the horror/thriller genre, this Western was one of the first to reach screens. As dictated by the formula, the film begins with the brutal attack followed by preparations for her revenge and then the revenge itself… though the last step doesn’t come as easily to Hannie as it would her successors. Moreover, she receives a lot of unconventional support from other male characters (including an uncredited Christopher Lee). Welch’s status as a sex symbol makes this narrative a little problematic as she always looks perfectly groomed in spite of the harsh terrain or cruelties she endures. Yet, it remains a relatively interesting contribution to this category of vengeful women and Western beauties as her performance adequately draws viewers into the narrative.
Special features include: commentary by author and filmmaker Alex Cox; “Exploitation or Redemption?”; “Win or Lose: Tigon Pictures and the Making of Hannie Caulder”; and “Sympathy for Lady Vengeance” essay. (Olive Signature)
Houdini (Blu-ray)
The film traces the life of the world’s foremost illusionist and escapologist, Houdini (Tony Curtis), from his early years working the Coney Island sideshows, where he’ll meet his future bride Bess (Janet Leigh), to career heights performing for dignitaries and royalty across the globe. Houdini’s fame would not lessen his quest for answers to life after death. His search for the answer would eventually lead to his most complex and dangerous performance.
Still considered one of the greatest magicians and certainly the greatest escape artist, not much is known about his early life and career. This film is not an extensive exploration of the lesser known aspects of Houdini’s life, but it does provide an adequate overview. From his start as a sideshow attraction at a carnival to the meeting of his future wife and assistant Bess to his sojourns from the stage at different stages of his life, it covers all the basics — though it does reinforce the myth of the how the artist died. It doesn’t dwell too much on his obsession with the supernatural and the afterlife, instead focusing on his second career debunking fraudulent psychics. Curtis is outstanding as the ambitious entertainer, capturing his enthusiasm and love for the spotlight. Moreover, he and Leigh have evident chemistry and she is demonstrated to be much more than just his pretty assistant.
There are no special features. (Olive Films)
I.T. (Blu-ray)
Mike Regan (Pierce Brosnan) is a successful, self-made man who has it all: a gorgeous wife, a beautiful teenage daughter and a sleek, state-of-the-art “smart home.” But he soon finds himself in a deadly, high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse when his I.T. consultant, Ed (James Frecheville), starts using his skills to stalk Mike’s daughter and endanger his family, his business and his life. In a world where there is no privacy and personal secrets can go viral by the click of a mouse, Mike needs to rely on his old connections to defeat a new kind of nemesis.
This thriller attempts to capitalize on threats posed by technology and those who know how to use it against you. Hacked emails, web servers and photos are regular news items as top companies and personalities are targeted and often extorted by unauthorized users that gain access to proprietary information. This story is simply enhanced by placing the privileged family at the mercy of a jilted psychopath who’s decided their offense must be punished by total public humiliation and ruin. In spite of being a rather mediocre narrative, right so serves as somewhat of a warning regarding the pervasiveness of technology in our lives — though it has nothing on Netflix’s Black Mirror.
Special features include: behind-the-scenes featurette; and photo gallery. (RLJ Entertainment)
The Intervention (DVD)
Four couples plan to reunite for a “marriage intervention” disguised as a fun-filled weekend at a lakeside vacation home. In an attempt to push Ruby (Cobie Smulders) and her husband Peter (Vincent Piazza) toward divorce, Annie (Melanie Lynskey) and her fiancé Matt (Jason Ritter) have gathered family and friends to address their failing marriage. Ruby’s sister Jessie (Clea DuVall), her girlfriend Sarah (Natasha Lyonne), old buddy Jack (Ben Schwartz) and “baby-stranger” Lola (Alia Shawkat), engage in various games while trying to maintain the illusion of a fun weekend together. As it all falls apart, close quarters bring longstanding issues to the surface. As each couple reels from these revelations, they reach out to each other in unexpected ways, struggling to express their devotion and conceding that things may never be perfect. New bonds form and old wounds heal as all see the result when the best of intentions comes out in the most awkward fashion.
The intervention has become somewhat of a mainstream method of conflict resolution and voicing one’s feelings about someone else’s behaviour. Having become a staple of TLC’s prime time lineup, it’s not surprising to see a group of 30-something yuppies adopting it as a means of interfering in their friends’ relationship. Also written, directed and produced by DuVall, the film seems to draw some inspiration from The Big Chill — though it doesn’t take any cues from the soundtrack. In spite of being relatively close friends and family, everyone spends most of the visit judging everyone else in an attempt to ignore their own issues. The whole situation and excessive pretending becomes increasingly ridiculous until they’re finally forced to confront their own problems. The film’s saving grace is the recognizable and talented B-level cast that does a great job with the script.
Special features include: “Fade Out” music video by Tegan and Sara; and blooper reel. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)
Kubo and the Two Strings (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital copy)
Young Kubo (Art Parkinson) mesmerizes the people in his village with his magical gift for spinning fantastical tales. When he accidentally summons an evil spirit seeking vengeance, Kubo journeys on an action-packed quest to solve the mystery of his fallen samurai father, discover his own magical powers and reunite his family.
One of the most enchanting aspects of this film is the enthralling stories told by Kubo and his mother, using a guitar and magical origami characters. As they recite their tales, the intricate, living paper figures enact the words. Small samurai warriors, multi-legged insects and fire-breathing chickens are just some of the paper characters that populate Kubo’s show. This is by far Laika‘s most accomplished stop-motion picture. The visuals are incredible and it’s difficult to believe any of it was achieved on a tiny set with malleable miniatures. The water, snow and hair move so seamlessly; and the character’s expressions appear so natural, one has to wonder how many faces were created for each. Moreover, the fantastic story is an absolute complement to the stunning imagery. The studio maintains its balance of somewhat dark events and lighter, more fanciful developments, including a fair amount of humour thanks to the playful bickering between Beetle and Monkey.
Special features include: commentary by director/producer Travis Knight; introduction by Knight; epilogue by Knight; “Mythological Monsters; “Braving the Elements”; The Redemptive and Healing Power of Music”; “Japanese Inspiration”; “Corners of the Earth”; and “The Myth of Kubo.” (Universal Pictures Home Entertainment)
Legend of Bruce Lee: Volume One (DVD)
Young Bruce Lee (Danny Chan) has no interest in studying and is obsessed with martial arts. After losing a street fight, he resolves to master Kung Fu under the tutelage of Master Ye Wen. Targeted by street gangs after standing up for the weak, Bruce has no other option but to leave Hong Kong for a strange and far off land: America. At the University of Washington, Bruce starts teaching martial arts and befriends an American girl named Linda (Michelle Lang). An extraordinary performance at a national karate championship launches Bruce, his film career, and his Kung Fu school on the path to international renown.
While the last sentence of this synopsis is true, that aspect of Lee’s life is not depicted in this volume; in fact, it stops rather abruptly in the middle of a significant conflict and leaves audiences hanging in the middle of a key plot development. The trajectory of Lee’s life in this series is captivating as his arrogance and stubbornness are matched by his sense of justice — elements of the legend’s personality Chan captures perfectly. However, particularly in the last few episodes, his character grows and becomes more comfortable being somewhat vulnerable around his closest friends while also maintaining total dedication to his ambitions of becoming an American Kung fu master. The only real shortcoming is the terrible English dubbing that often distracts from the relatively understated narrative.
There are no special features. (Well Go USA)
Lulu Belle (Blu-ray)
The film recounts the rags-to-riches story of a Broadway singing sensation from the perspective of her ex-husband, George Davis (George Montgomery), after Lulu Belle (Dorothy Lamour) and Harry Randolph (Otto Kruger), her rich companion, are discovered shot in her dressing room. From her humble beginnings singing in a low rent café, to her rise as the toast of Broadway, Lulu Belle has left a trail of broken-hearted suitors in her wake.
This is a typical cautionary tale of the period that spends most of its time indulging in the female protagonist’s numerous love affairs and flirtations before inevitably ensuring she gets her comeuppance for having a restless heart. Lulu’s best friend relates the tale on her behalf, though she is clearly well-informed regarding all of the woman’s conflicts and admirers. The male leads in Lulu’s life include her hardworking but poor husband, an up-and-coming boxer, a fight promoter and a club owner. However, the key quarrels always come back to Lulu and her husband, who’s resentful of her extra-marital relationships. It’s almost like a concentrated version of Dynasty and the like, including attractive costumes, a mystery shooting, affairs of the heart and a number of jealous men.
There are no special features. (Olive Films)
Macbeth (Blu-ray)
Macbeth (Orson Welles, who also adapted, produced and directed), a doomed Scottish lord, is tragically undone by his own ambition.
It’s very interesting that this special release contains two versions of the film, which were released two years apart. The first, released in 1948, runs 107 minutes and is spoken with heavy highland accents true to the characters’ origins. The second was released in 1950 and has had most of the accented dialogue removed, cutting the runtime down to 85 minutes. Most notably, the three witches’ chant at the start of the play is replaced by an explanatory voiceover that sets up Macbeth’s story and marks the significant absence of an iconic scene. Welles’ version of the treacherous narrative is powerful and his use of minimalist sets and noir-esque shadows is impressive. Moreover, the oblique camera angles bring into focus the actors’ performances and Shakespeare’s classic words. Welles is excellent as is Jeanette Nolan, who portrays his equally scheming wife, Lady Macbeth..
Special features include: 1948 and 1950 versions of the film; “Welles and Shakespeare”; “Adopting Shakespeare on Film”; excerpt from We Work Again; “That was Orson Welles”; “Restoring Macbeth”; “Free Republic: Herbert J. Yates and the Story of Republic Pictures”; and “Orson Welles’ Macbeths.” (Olive Signature)
Mechanic: Resurrection (Blu-ray & DVD)
The most dangerous hitman in the world, Arthur Bishop (Jason Statham), thought he had put his murderous past behind him when his most formidable foe kidnaps the love of his life (Jessica Alba). Now he is forced to travel the globe to complete three impossible assassinations and do what he does best: make them look like accidents.
The first film was more serious and somewhat dull as Bishop took Ben Foster‘s vulnerable, impulsive character under his wing. This movie tries to change-up Bishop’s basic storyline by borrowing a different one. Now he’s being blackmailed into murdering some people to prevent the death of one person; though even their connection, which is the main motivation for his cooperation, is somewhat flimsy. Nonetheless, Bishop finds some fairly creative modes of taking out his targets before finally trying to turn the tables on the man pulling his strings. In an attempt to give the picture more depth and raise the stakes, filmmakers try to cram too many things into the narrative without fully exploring any of them. Even Michelle Yeoh‘s inclusion is wasted on what is essentially a cameo.
Special features include: “Engineering the Sequel: Inside Mechanic: Resurrection”; “Scoring the Action Film with Mark Isham”; “The Malaysian Prison”; “Michelle Yeoh: Secret Ally”; and “Statham on Stunts.” (VVS Films)
Pimpernel Smith (Blu-ray)
Horatio Smith (Leslie Howard), a Cambridge Professor of Archaeology, persuades several of his students to accompany him to pre-war Germany on a dig. Smith easily wins the support of the Nazis who believe the excavation will unearth the Aryan history of Germany. However, Smith’s true objective is to free those held in nearby concentration camps. The façade of a meek and mild-mannered professor by day will give way to the daring and heroic “Pimpernel” by night as Smith and his students, deducing who their teacher really is, set forth on their mission.
Though not quite as humorous, this narrative has some things in common with Hogan’s Heroes. At the core of one of the main plot developments is a ruse that would make the colonel and his cohorts proud. The professor doesn’t appear to be much at first glance, but he demonstrates a fair amount of bravery and cunning to arrange the rescue of several prisoners from a concentration camp. Of course the man in charge of finding the liberator is a bit of a buffoon, obsessed with American culture and delicacies – often it would appear in an attempt to appropriate it for the Nazis. Howard is great as he walks the line between conservative scholar and shrewd spy, rubbing elbows with the German elite and donning elaborate disguises to trick the same leaders.
There are no special features. (Olive Films)
Return of the Living Dead 3 (Blu-ray)
In Return of the Living Dead: Part II, the chemical Trioxin turned people into flesh-eating zombies. Now, the government is trying to control these unstoppable cannibalistic killers. When a young man (J. Trevor Edmond) uses the chemical to bring his girlfriend (Melinda Clarke) back to life after a motorcycle accident, she is driven to eat the only thing that will nourish her — human brains. She tries to stop her own feeding frenzy, but a chain reaction has already begun as hordes of undead are unleashed from their graves.
Not to be mistakenly associated with The Night of the Living Dead series, this franchise revolves around the experimental chemical weapon, Trioxin. In spite of being a sometimes shocking horror picture, it’s also really rather tragic. The boy brings his girlfriend back to life out of a deep love for her, but is simultaneously blind to the pain the resurrection causes her. In spite of her constant pleas to end her unnatural misery, he selfishly refuses and insists she just return to her former self. The ending is especially harsh as the government continues its inhumane experiments and delivers blow-after-blow to the audience’s sense of compassion. This all sounds pretty heavy for a low-budget horror movie, but the script’s sincerity and the actors’ commitment to playing it all straight elevates the film to a surprising level.
Special features include: commentary by director Brian Yuzna; commentary by actress Melinda Clarke and special make-up effects artist Tom Rainone; “Ashes to Ashes,” a conversation with director Brian Yuzna and Screenwriter John Penney; “Living Dead Girl,” an interview with actress Melinda Clarke; “Romeo Is Bleeding,” an interview with actor J. Trevor Edmond; “Trimark & Trioxin,” – interviews with production excecutive David Tripet and editor Chris Roth; “The Resurrected Dead,” interviews with special effects designers Steve Johnson and Chris Nelson; and still gallery. (Lionsgate)
War Dogs (Blu-ray)
Two friends in their early 20s (Jonah Hill and Miles Teller) living in Miami Beach during the Iraq War exploit a little-known government initiative that allows small businesses to bid on U.S. Military contracts. Starting small, they begin raking in big money and are living the high life. But the pair gets in over their heads when they land a $300 million deal to arm the Afghan Military — a deal that puts them in business with some very shady people, not the least of which turns out to be the U.S. Government.
This is one of those unbelievable scripts based on an even more unbelievable true story. The main characters are loud and brash, becoming more so as their bank accounts increase. They also do some crazy, stupid things — like drive through Iraq’s triangle of death and forge documents they submit to the government. But what comes up, must come down, which is where they’re partnership is truly tested. This isn’t just a compelling narrative, but an exploration of how the Bush administration opened the doors for a couple of nobodies to get rich by selling military-grade weapons — a topic explored further in bonus features. As ridiculous as it sounds, they were legitimized “international arms dealers” and this is their extraordinary tale of going from rags to riches on the backs of the U.S. military.
Special features include: “General Phillips: Boots on the Ground”; “War Dogs: Access Granted”; and “Pentagon Pie.” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
