Big Little Lies: The Complete Second Season (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
In season two, on the surface, everything seems the same in the seaside town of Monterey, CA: mothers continue to dote, husbands support, children are adorable, houses are beautiful. But the night of the school fundraiser changed all that, leaving the community reeling as the “Monterey Five” (Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz & Laura Dern) bond together to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Meanwhile, Perry’s grieving mother Mary Louise Wright (Meryl Streep) comes to town in search of answers after her son’s death.
The lead investigator is convinced the five women are involved in Perry’s death, but they’re sticking to their story and together… at least for now. But most of them also have more pressing matters to address, including a marriage on the rocks, a new romance, bankruptcy and overwhelming guilt. Mary Louise, however, becomes everyone’s problem, but particularly Celeste’s as she repeatedly meddles in her life and interferes with her sons. Although the season is only seven episodes, these women experience a lot and the drama is often high. Yet, there’s also moments of clarity, and overcoming deep-seated feelings of pain and resentment. While last season ended on the murder, this season is more of a cliff-hanger as it’s difficult to know exactly what is about to happen — but it’s sure to be interesting.
Special features include: “The Lies Revealed: A. Conversation with the Cast.” (HBO Home Entertainment)
Joker (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Forever alone in a crowd, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) longs for any light to shine on him. Trying his hand as a stand-up comic, he finds the joke always seems to be on him. Caught in a cyclical existence between apathy and cruelty and, ultimately, betrayal, Arthur makes one bad decision after another that brings about a chain reaction of escalating events.
The first thing to make clear is even though they share a name, this is not really an origin story for the DC villain. It’s a story about a man who’s been beaten down all his life, in part due to an unusual disorder that causes him to laugh inappropriately. However, more recent disappointments, betrayals and abuse all weigh too heavily and Arthur snaps. On the flipside, the sickness is not just in the man, but the whole city, which seeks someone to stand for all those who feel like victims, as well as those who defy authority. It’s a bit cliché to have a man who lives with his mother become a serial perpetrator, but Phoenix is exceptional in the role. He loses himself as he portrays all of Arthur’s idiosyncrasies, as well as his slow dissent into darkness. In addition to being incredibly attractive, it’s also a witty depiction of a variety of madness.
Special features include: “Joker: Vision & Fury”; “Becoming Joker”; “Please Welcome… Joker!”; “Joker: A Chronicle of Chaos.” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
The Lighthouse (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
As an approaching storm threatens to sweep two lighthouse keepers (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) from a remote New England island, strange apparitions emerge from the fog and each man begins to suspect that the other has become dangerously unmoored.
Black-and-white often implies arthouse picture and that’s what this movie is in some respects. The entrancing tale of two strangers trapped alone on an island is bizarre. From the power plays to the drunken nights to the unusual discoveries to the inevitable violence, the film keeps the audience’s attention trained on these two men. Dafoe and Pattinson are more than up to the challenge of carrying this picture on their respective shoulders, making it impossible to imagine two other actors performing as well. Dafoe is no stranger to weird and/or difficult roles that test his mettle, but Pattinson is surprisingly deft at navigating this unusual and demanding part.
Special features include: commentary by co-writer/director Robert Eggers; deleted scenes; “The Lighthouse: A Dark & Stormy Tale.” (Lionsgate Home Entertainment & VVS Films)
Mine 9 (DVD)
Inspired by true events, the film follows nine Appalachian coalminers trapped two miles underground after a methane explosion. With only an hour’s supply of oxygen, the race is on to escape alive.
Mining is a dangerous profession filled with countless hazards. However, the incredible part of this movie is the miners enter their shift knowing the conditions are unsafe and they’re on the brink of a potential catastrophe. Choosing to retain their employment, the men enter the mine and hope to rely on their survival training if disaster strikes. While the remaining coalminers struggle to make it to the nearest exit, the approach above-ground is cautious. Although the survivors are shown a year after the incident, there isn’t a description of the aftermath that usually accompanies a true story of this nature. Instead, filmmakers pair the credits with interviews with real coalminers who talk about their dedication to the profession.
Special features include: commentary by director Eddie Mensore; and deleted scenes. (123 Go Films)
Primal (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
When Frank Walsh (Nicolas Cage), a hunter and collector of rare and exotic animals, bags a priceless white jaguar for a zoo, he figures it’ll be smooth sailing to a big payday. But the ship bearing Frank’s precious cargo has two predators caged in its hold: the cat, and a political assassin (Kevin Durand) being extradited to the U.S. After the assassin breaks free — and frees the jaguar — Frank feverishly stalks the ship’s cramped corridors in hot pursuit of his prey, right up until the thrilling, unpredictable climax.
Primarily a cat-and-mouse-chase between two men who turned their backs on most of humanity long ago, the film delivers sufficient action and some blood spatter. Of course, the only deaths really made to have an impact are those of the captive animals and an engineer afforded a backstory. Frank is constantly telling people he’s not a good man whilst caring for a boy and saving people’s lives, while the assassin goes around killing the crew and his captors with equal fervor. The white jaguar is a little rough around the edges, but she makes several appearances throughout the picture and plays a key role in a few scenes.
Special features include: making-of featurette. (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The Shed (Blu-ray)
Stan (Jay Jay Warren) and his best friend Dommer (Cody Kostro) have put up with bullies their entire lives. All of that changes when Stan discovers he has a murderous vampire living in his shed. Seeing the bloodshed and destruction the monster is capable of, Stan knows he has to find a way to destroy it. But Dommer has a much more sinister plan in mind.
This movie’s concept is intriguing as it’s the equivalent of having a pet monster — the underdog’s dream come true. However, this film never really gets there. Stan discovers the killer in his shed and beyond trapping it, doesn’t haven’t much of a plan on how to deal with it — though considering his efforts with a drill, the solution seems obvious. On the other hand, Dommer sees a golden opportunity to get out from the bottom of the food chain. From there, nothing really unfolds as expected and it all kind of goes off-course.
There are no special features. (RLJE Films)
