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Review: This week’s releases understand their respective genres (Includes first-hand account)

Altitude (DVD)

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VVS Films

Gretchen Blair (Denise Richards) is a headstrong FBI agent who goes rogue on a hostage negotiation and is sent packing to a desk job back in DC. By a stroke of luck, she’s upgraded to business class on her flight — but as soon as the plane takes off, her seatmate (Kirk Barker) offers her millions of dollars if she can get him off the plane alive. As his ex-partners (Dolph Lundgren, Chuck Liddell and Greer Grammar) stage a brutal hijacking, Gretchen finds herself in the fight of her life — choosing sides between two factions of a criminal gang and trying to keep the plane from going down.

This is one of those terrible action movies with not enough action. Richards always appears to be trying too hard to look tough rather than letting the mediocre script do the work. Liddell is essentially just muscle, while Lundgren is his typical full package bad guy. Grammar is the brains of the operation, but that isn’t saying much in this movie. Gretchen spends much of her time trying to convince the inept air marshal that a hijacking is taking place and then competing with the greed of everyone the criminals have attempted to bribe. It’s only about 90 minutes, but it feels much longer.

There are no special features. (VVS Films)

Car Wash (Blu-ray)

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Shout Select

It’s just a typical day in the lives of the employees, customers and passersby of a Los Angeles car wash. There’s a would-be robbery… an assembly line of the weirdest, baddest, shadiest characters you’ve ever met… and lots of ‘70s music to pass the hours till quitting time.

Apparently there’s a reason the soundtrack for this movie was out of sight — it was released and promoted before the movie even came out because filmmakers knew it was good and would raise interest in the film. They also put together a terrific cast with great chemistry and a good sense of the story they were telling. While their jobs are sometimes fun, it can also be disgusting and demeaning. In addition, they’re all simultaneously dealing with personal issues, including a stingy boss and complicated love lives. There’s also a very amusing cameo by George Carlin who plays a cab driver, and Richard Pryor and the Pointer Sisters who portray a flamboyant reverend who preaches about money with the help of his backup singers.

Special features include: commentary by director Michael Schultz; “Workin’ at the Car Wash with Otis Day”; “Car Wash From Start to Finish with Gary Stromberg”; radio spots; and trailer. (Shout Select)

Don’t Knock Twice (Blu-ray & DVD)

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Scream Factory

When troubled teen Chloe (Lucy Boynton) defies a local legend’s warning and knocks at the door of a long-abandoned house, she unleashes a horror beyond her darkest nightmares — the vengeance of a relentless child-stealing witch. With nowhere else to turn, Chloe heads for the country home of her estranged mother, Jess (Katee Sackhoff), a recovering addict who is desperate to reconnect with her daughter. Now, mother and daughter must once again learn to trust each other if they have any hope of surviving the relentless force shadowing Chloe.

This horror movie is simple yet complicated. The malevolent force that’s attached itself to Chloe is not unique as audiences have often seen similar disturbances and can likely predict many of the would-be shocks. The mystery built around the child’s disappearance and the red herrings carefully placed throughout increases the complexity as the mother and daughter attempt to rid themselves of the ghost. The apparition is also somewhat multifaceted, both in life and death. It certainly could have been scarier, but it does well enough and is short enough not to try to do more than necessary.

Special features include: making-of featurette; and theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)

Everybody Loves Somebody (DVD)

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Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Clara (Karla Souza) is a young single doctor who has everything she wants — except love. Invited to a family wedding in Mexico, Clara convinces a charming co-worker to pose as her current boyfriend — only to run into her old flame at the festivities. Now, with a little help from her colourful family, Clara must choose between two men — and two futures.

The film is centred on a classic love triangle as Clara tries to decide between her ex and her new beau. The characters naturally slip into speaking Spanish during conversations, though the other half of the movie is in English; in fact, certain impassioned scenes are actually amusing because it’s clear the actors are on the verge of slipping into their native tongue but have been directed not to do so. The drama with Clara’s patients is a little superfluous, while her parents’ meddling in her love life is borderline offensive considering the history. In any case, this is a passable rom-com with a lot of confusing emotions.

There are no special features. (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

Evil Ed (Blu-ray & DVD)

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Arrow Video

Mild-mannered film technician Edward (Johan Rudebeck) enjoys his job. That is, until he finds himself transferred from his regular post to the “Splatter and Gore department”, where he’s forced to edit hours upon hours of grisly video nasty footage. Traumatized by the onscreen violence, Ed starts to lose his grip on reality — with ghastly (and bloody) consequences.

From the minds of a couple of Swedish horror fans, this English-language splatter feature has a lot in common with its American predecessors, The Evil Dead, Re-animator and Dead Alive. From the spiralling characters losing their sanity to the blood-soaked violence and flying limbs to amusing monsters that plague the protagonist, this movie knows its genre. Ed’s descent into madness at the hands of his unfeeling boss and his disturbing film series is gradual. Select scenes from the films being edited are shown, though the horror they showcase is nothing compared to the horrendous scenes Ed describes to his wife. Fans of American gore pics will not be disappointed by this recently revived, bloody genre entry complete with two scenes recovered from the cutting room floor.

Special features include: two versions of the film; introduction by writer/director Anders Jacobsson and editor Doc; “You Keep ‘Em Heads Rollin’”; “Before Ed”; “Beyond Ed”; deleted scenes featurette; “Reconstructing Edward”; “Lost in Brainland”; new scenes featurette; cast and crew interview bloopers; image gallery; trailers and teasers; collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by horror journalist Michael Gingold; and reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Graham Humphreys. (Arrow Video)

Incorporated: Season One (DVD)

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Paramount Home Media Distribution

In the year 2074, the world is controlled by companies with unlimited power. But when a young executive (Sean Teale) with a secret past infiltrates the monolithic Spiga Corporation, he learns just how deadly the corporate jungle can be.

In this future, the world is distinctly divided into the haves and have nots… though, in spite of the risks, the rich still enjoy slumming it on the wrong side of the wall. On the other hand, the poor and displaced trade themselves for the security of their families. Produced by Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, this sci-fi TV series uses these disparities as the backdrop for the tale of an infiltrator who will go to seemingly any lengths to save someone he loves — including betray the love of another. From high-end brothels to modern-day gladiator rings, the value of humans has plummeted while technology has only made it easier for it to fall. The season ends on a cliff-hanger and the hint of some intriguing developments for the next chapter.

Special features include: extended scene; “Crisis Defines Characters”; “Good & Bad Future”; “Have vs. Have Nots”; “Secrets & Lies”; and gag reel. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)

Madhouse (Blu-ray & DVD)

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Arrow Video

Julia (Trish Everly) has spent her entire adult life trying to forget the torment she suffered at the hands of her twisted twin Mary (Allison Biggers)… but Mary hasn’t forgotten. Escaping hospital, where she’s recently been admitted with a horrific, disfiguring illness, Julia’s sadistic sister vows to exact a particularly cruel revenge on her sibling this year — promising a birthday surprise that she’ll never forget.

When everyone tells you you’re going mad, you can’t help but start to think they may be right. Julia knows her sister is a credible threat, but she couldn’t possibly have anticipated the acts of pure hate her demented twin enacts. From legendary producer/director Ovidio Assonitis, the Italian production was shot entirely in Savannah, Georgia, bringing the over-the-top excess of Italian horror cinema to an American setting. The bloody murders and gruesome final act caused the film to be labelled a “video nasty” and outlawed in Britain. Even though by today’s standards it’s probably quite tame, one can see how the vicious dog attacks, brutal murders and ghastly party could have offended sensitive audiences.

Special features include: commentary by The Hysteria Continues; interviews with cast and crew; alternate opening titles; theatrical trailer; and reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Marc Schoenbach. (Arrow Video)

Railroad Tigers (Blu-ray & DVD)

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Well Go USA

A railroad worker (Jackie Chan) and his ragtag group of freedom fighters find themselves on the wrong side of the tracks when they decide to ambush a heavily armed military train filled with desperately needed provisions. Unarmed and outnumbered, they must fight back against an entire army using only their wits.

While a little bit goofy, the film actually occurs during a fairly serious time in Chinese history as the Japanese attempted to strengthen its occupation of the country. Some members of the motley crew are actually family, but they are all very close and willing to die for their cause — a chance they may get when their amateur operations continuously go awry. Continuing Chan’s tradition of actors doing most of their own stunts, they jump onto and fight atop moving trains for a lot of the movie as prescribed by the title. The concluding battle has many twists and turns as their monumental production planning pays off with an epic ending fitting of its brave characters.

Special features include: director’s featurette; making-of featurette; “The Dangers of Shooting”; VFX featurette; “The Characters”; and trailers. (Well Go USA)

Spotlight on a Murderer (Blu-ray & DVD)

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Arrow Academy

When the terminally ill Count Hervé de Kerloquen (Pierre Brasseur) vanishes without a trace, his heirs are told that they have to wait five years before he can be declared legally dead, forcing them to devise ways of paying for the upkeep of the vast family château in the meantime. While they set about transforming the place into an elaborate son et lumière tourist attraction, they are beset by a series of tragic accidents — if that’s really what they are.

In spite not being based on an Agatha Christie mystery, this movie has a lot in common with the classic whodunits. Opening with the Count’s disappearance, the audience is completely aware of his location; however, the mystery aspect of the narrative arises when his potential heirs begin to die under mysterious circumstances and motivations. In the meantime, there’s the strange love story between one of the youngest family members and his girlfriend who he insists remain unknown to his kin. French director Georges Franju brings his exceptional eye to the work, playing with lighting, sound and camera angles to not only enhance the story but provide with some atypical style.

Special features include: vintage production featurette; original theatrical trailer; and reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Peter Strain. (Arrow Academy)

Under the Dome: The Complete Series (DVD)

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Paramount Home Media Distribution

Chester’s Mill is a town suddenly cut off from the rest of the world by a massive dome. The residents struggle to break free of their nightmare and maintain control, while facing every new obstacle that comes their way. As the truth about the dome begins to unravel, it becomes clear that some won’t make it out alive.

The first episode of this series seemingly locks viewers in for the long haul, but the last season requires a lot of commitment and patience from viewers who are able to stay engaged by the action and characters’ relationships. Yet commendably throughout the series, no citizen is safe from the writers’ chopping block with a number of surprising deaths. While much of the first season was about interacting with the dome, in the second the townspeople must deal with its whims and tantrums. Teased by the possibility of escape, they are led down a rabbit hole — but what they find on the other side isn’t necessarily what they expected. Still remaining within author Stephen King‘s prescribed brief timeline, the situation in Chester’s Mill continues to rapidly escalate. The concluding season does bring everything to a satisfactory if not equally bizarre end; though in true King fashion it’s never completely over.

Special features include: deleted scenes; “Filming the Pilot”; “Stephen King Visits Jim’s Car Dealership”; “The Wilmington Pilot Premiere”; “Stephen King and Under the Dome”; “Under the Dome: From Novel to Series”; “Under the Dome: Executing the Finale”; “The World of Under the Dome”; “Inside Chester’s Mill”; “Readings from the Dome”; “Filming the Season Premiere”; “Stephen King and Season 2”; “Welcome Back to Chester’s Mill”; A Journey through Season 2”; “The Transmedia World of Under the Dome”; “The Visual Effects of Season 2”; ‘Ready for Action: Tales from Under the Dome”; “Paintings from Jack Bender and Creating Chester’s Mill”; Joe’s blog; “Return to the Dome: A Look at Season 3”; behind-the-scenes featurette; “The Season Finale”; “The Device”; “Meet Indy the Dog”; bloopers; gag reel; and CBS launch promos. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)

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Written By

Sarah Gopaul is Digital Journal's Editor-at-Large for film news, a member of the Online Film Critics Society and a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved critic.

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