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Review: This week’s releases will leave their mark on audiences (Includes first-hand account)

Alice Through the Looking Glass (Blu-ray & Digital copy)

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Disney Studios

The adventure begins when Alice (Mia Wasikowska) embarks on a daring quest to save her dear friend the Hatter (Johnny Depp). Plunging back into the whimsical, topsy-turvy world of Wonderland with all her old companions and a host of zany new ones, Alice must take on Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen) to right a past wrong, find her muchness and remember nothing is impossible.

As with most fantasy movies of this magnitude, there are parts that inevitably work better than others. The best sections of this picture involve the many Wonderland personalities that reprise their roles or are newly introduced. Audiences may recognize the nursery rhymes personified via Humpty Dumpty’s fall or the Queen of Hearts and her fondness for tarts. While still extravagant, the Hatter isn’t generally as outlandish as he was prior to Alice’s leaving; but he still has his moments and his customary tea party companions compensate for any lost amusement. However, Cohen’s Time steals the show. Delivering a noticeable but inexact impression of Werner Herzog, his performance is absolutely the most entertaining aspect of the narrative. Inserting a time travel element into the film provides a greater sense of drama and adventure as Alice literally races against the clock to save Hatter. In spite of Tim Burton‘s absence from the director’s chair, the film remains visually captivating, the actors are still on target and it continues to deliver a series of enjoyable moments sprinkled throughout a reasonably enchanting narrative.

Special features include: commentary by director James Bobin; deleted scenes with director commentary; “A Stitch in Time: Costuming Wonderland”; “Behind The Looking Glass”; “Time On…”; “Alice Goes Through the Looking Glass: A Scene Peeler”; Alice Goes Through Time’s Castle: A Scene Peeler”; “Characters of Underland”; “Just Like Fire” music video by P!nk; and “Behind the Music Video.” (Disney Studios)

Blinky Bill: The Movie (Blu-ray)

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Shout Factory

Blinky Bill (Ryan Kwanten) is a little koala with a big imagination. An adventurer at heart, he dreams of leaving the little town of Green Patch and following in his explorer father’s footsteps. His father, Mr. Bill (Richard Roxburgh), went missing in the Outback some time ago and Blinky is the only one who believes his dad is still alive. When Blinky discovers a mysterious clue that hints at his dad’s whereabouts, he embarks on a journey that takes him beyond the boundary of Green Patch and into the wild and dangerous Outback. He quickly makes friends with Nutsy (Robin McLeavy), a zoo koala, and Jacko (David Wenham), a nervous, frill-necked lizard. Pursued relentlessly by a vengeful Cat (Rufus Sewell) who has a personal score to settle with Blinky, the trio must learn to work together if they ever want to survive the rugged Australian landscape and find Blinky’s father.

Based on a beloved Australian children’s book, this is Blinky’s first foray into feature-length territory. One can see the characters and stories are adored as they are all cute and quite amusing. Blinky’s friends consist of an assortment of animals and birds who aren’t all that useful in covering for him when he sneaks off to find his dad. In addition to the villainous cat who pursues Blinky across the desert in order to try and eat him, there’s also a greedy lizard trying to takeover Green Patch’s leadership in Mr. Bill’s absence. Nutsy is an interesting and somewhat sad character as she was raised in captivity and actually wants to return to the zoo, scolding Blinky for “rescuing” her. The action adventure is filled with humour that viewers of all ages can enjoy, while not stretching out the narrative until the cute marsupials have overstayed their welcome.

Special features include: featurettes; and music video. (Shout Factory)

Child’s Play: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray)

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Scream Factory

An innocent-looking doll is inhabited by the soul of a serial killer who refused to die. Only six-year-old Andy realizes that Chucky is responsible for a spate of gruesome murders, including that of his unsuspecting babysitter. But the real terror takes hold when the deranged doll becomes determined to transfer his evil spirit to a living human being — Andy.

The Good Guy doll became a source of fun and fear thanks to this movie as it was made a very popular toy in ‘80s — though one has to wonder the motivation for adults buying a “killer doll” for their kids. Charles Lee Ray, a.k.a. Chucky, practiced the black arts and uses the evil to outsmart and escape the police, although a pint-sized doll certainly wouldn’t have been his first choice for hosts. Knowing that no one will believe Andy, he’s not afraid to gradually let his true self shine through in front of the kid. Of course at some point Chucky also has to face the fact that he can be easily punted across the room. This horror classic is still entertaining decades later, even if the idea of a killer doll doesn’t seem as scary anymore.

Special features include: commentary by director Tom Holland; commentary by Alex Vincent, Catherine Hicks and “Chucky” designer Kevin Yagher; commentary by producer David Kirschner and screenwriter Don Mancini; select scene Chucky commentaries; behind-the-scenes special effects footage from Howard Berger; “Howard Berger: Your Special Effects Friend ‘Til The End”; “Life Behind the Mask: Being Chucky”; “Evil Comes in Small Packages”; “Chucky: Building a Nightmare”; “A Monster Convention”; “Introducing Chucky: The Making of Child’s Play” vintage featurette; photo gallery; original theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)

Lights Out (Blu-ray & Digital copy)

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Warner Bros. Home Entertainment

When Rebecca (Teresa Palmer) left home, she thought she left her childhood fears behind. Growing up, she was never really sure of what was and wasn’t real when the lights went out and now her little brother, Martin (Gabriel Bateman), is experiencing the same unexplained and terrifying events that had once tested her sanity and threatened her safety. A frightening entity with a mysterious attachment to their mother, Sophie (Maria Bello), has re-emerged. But this time, as Rebecca gets closer to unlocking the truth, there is no denying that all their lives are in danger once the lights go out.

In 2013, director David F. Sandberg and his wife made a super low-budget, two-and-a-half-minute short that unexpectedly went viral and led to them adapting into an almost equally creepy 90-minute feature. We’ve all thought we’ve seen something move in a shadow at one point or another, but this movie’s monster lives in those dark spaces. The most disturbing scenes involve the flickering of lights that allow the creature to invisibly move into increasingly threatening positions. Its dishevelled, slightly inhuman silhouette is all one needs to see to feel the goose flesh crawl across their skin. Although there is the occasional jump scare spread throughout the narrative, it relies more on the perpetually eerie atmosphere that exists because one never really knows if the creature is present unless it wants you to know. The other half of the story is a very human one about mental health, fractured families and emotional baggage. Even though there’s a real monster terrorizing their home, Sophie’s struggle with depression is also at the heart of the story.

Special features include: deleted scenes. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)

Our Kind of Traitor (Blu-ray & Digital copy)

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Lionsgate

While on vacation, a married couple (Ewan McGregor and Naomie Harris) unwittingly befriend a flamboyant and charismatic Russian named Dima (Stellan Skarsgård), who — unbeknownst to them — is a kingpin money launderer for the mafia. When Dima confides to his new friends that he plans to escape from the mob, they’re quickly swept into the dangerous world of international espionage. The unlikely companions must undertake a perilous journey through Paris, Bern and London and form an unsettling alliance with a ruthless British MI6 agent in order to save Dima and his family.

This narrative, based on John le Carré’s novel, puts ordinary people at the centre of a life-and-death spy game. What’s even more extraordinary is the couple’s commitment to helping these virtual strangers once they become involved. There’s obviously some reluctance on their part at first, but it’s not long before they’re standing up to MI6 and risking their lives to ensure the safety of Dima and his family. McGregor is sort of like a deer in the headlights, just acting on instinct. Dima is clearly more dangerous, but that side of his personality is not revealed until later in the narrative and at that point his actions can be somewhat justified. While it’s a little difficult to believe a well-to-do couple with marriage troubles would stick their neck out on the line to this extent, it’s also hard to consider what they could’ve done otherwise – which is no small credit to the talented cast.

Special features include: deleted scenes; making-of featurette; “The Story”; and “The Cast.” (Lionsgate)

She Who Must Burn (DVD)

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Midnight Releasing

A deadly storm heads towards a small mining village as the local preacher feeds the dark resentments seething in the souls of its citizens. Angela (Sarah Smyth) is the only medical resource for women in this unfortunate town where stillbirths and cancer have become disturbingly common. The local preacher and his followers blame Angela for the miscarriages and deaths, and even her Deputy Sheriff boyfriend can’t protect her from their wrath. Dark clouds gather as the preacher’s followers, infected with religious fervor and inflamed with passionate righteousness, seek to cleanse their community. Those who sin against the Lord must pay.

To describe this film as dark would be somewhat of an understatement. It compresses the worst actions, beliefs and directives of a group in a 90-minute film that grows increasingly intense with every new revelation. By the last act, viewers are squeezed in a vice grip with no relief from the atrocities committed on screen. Yet, as has often been proven, an audience’s imagination is much worse than anything that can be portrayed. Thus, the physical violence mostly occurs out of frame and only the resulting damage is displayed. Writer/director Larry Kent’s position on this issue is obvious throughout the film via his depiction of the villainous fanatics. The conclusion is especially heavy-handed in condemning the actions of the perpetrators and onlookers, while reaffirming the innocence of Angela and others. Nonetheless, Kent uses this feminist and political messaging to construct a powerful and disturbing thriller.

There are no special features. (Midnight Releasing)

The Twilight Zone: The Complete Series (DVD)

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Paramount Home Media Distribution

Ordinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.

Rod Serling’s series originally aired in the ’50s and ’60s, but even those who never watched the show will recognize the iconic tales. Other television shows, particularly The Simpsons, and short horror collections have used these narratives to inspire their own variations of the strange and unusual accounts. There are so many memorable episodes from this awesome series, which only ran for five seasons and 156 episodes. Yet more than 50 years later, almost everyone has an episode or more that’s stayed with them over the years. There’s the two episodes starring William Shatner in which he plays a young man who falls under the spell of a novelty fortune telling machine and then a mentally fragile man who believes a gremlin is sabotaging his in-flight plane; the boy who can make anything he wishes a reality; the woman who goes to surgical lengths to physically conform to societal norms; the bookish man who finally finds he has all the time in the world to read only to meet the greatest irony; the alien race whose helping hand cannot be trusted; the invasion threat that calls into question who should be feared more: them or us; and since no eerie show is complete without a creepy doll, there’s Talky Tina.

There are no special features. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)

Vampyres (DVD)

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Artsploitation Films

The story is set in a stately English manor inhabited by two older lesbian vampires and with their only cohabitant being a man imprisoned in the basement. Their lives and lifestyle are upended when a trio of campers come upon their lair and seek to uncover their dark secrets, a decision that has sexual and blood-curdling consequences.

A remake of a ‘70s Spanish film of the same name, this picture takes the overtly sexualized original narrative and makes it bloodier. The story is equally convoluted, acting as little more than an excuse to get from one bloody/sex scene to the next. Recreating it as an English-language picture makes the poor dialogue and weak storytelling even more obvious and unforgivable. The first movie was part of a specific genre and era of filmmaking that cannot be easily reproduced. Nonetheless, credit must be given to director Víctor Matellano who goes to great lengths to recapture of the essence of the original.

Special features include: making of featurette; and interview with Caroline Munro. (Artsploitation Films)

What We Become (Blu-ray)

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Scream Factory

The Johansson family — mom, dad, their rebellious teenage son and young daughter — are looking forward to a quiet summer in their idyllic suburban town. But in the blink of an eye, things go from blissful to berserk when a horrifying plague tears through the community. After a string of grisly deaths, the government puts the neighborhood on lockdown. But one thing soon becomes terrifyingly clear: you can’t quarantine the apocalypse.

Some of the best zombie movies have not included a lot of zombies and this film is no exception. It begins as a pandemic outbreak of an unidentified illness paired with bouts of violence across the city. It’s not long before containing the virus by staying in your home goes from voluntary to forced at gunpoint. Likely in an effort to avoid panic, authorities don’t tell residents the extent of what they’re dealing with, which unsurprisingly leads to it spreading even faster. The teenage son’s insubordination is actually the family’s only source of real information, but they realize too late that no one can help them anymore. The title is an apt reference to how people handle life-and-death circumstances and how far they’ll go to protect their loved ones and themselves. This is a powerful undead narrative as the characters are recognizable as average people thrust into an apocalypse and forced to make tough choices that affect their fates and that of those around them.

There are no special features. (Scream Factory)

Who Gets the Dog? (Blu-ray)

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VVS Films

Olive (Alicia Silverstone) is a top doctor with high hopes of starting a family, but her out-of-work husband, Clay (Ryan Kwanten), is too busy concentrating on his dream to be a big league hockey star. On the brink of divorce, the couple can’t agree on who will take custody of their beloved dog, Wesley. Things go from bad to worse as they battle it out in court. Resorting to cheap tactics and dirty tricks, Olive and Clay pull out all the stops to win back Wesley, with disastrous consequences.

In spite of being about a couple in the midst of a separation, this is still a romantic comedy. Amusingly, the film replaces the “child of divorce” with a dog who similarly acts out as his “parents” fight over his custody. It seems silly watching these two adults play tug-of-war over their canine companion, but it’s also a precise parallel of what some kids experience when their parents separate: extra doting, bursts of anger, leniency and to some extent neglect. However, since a dog is at the centre of the dispute it’s allowed to be humorous. Olive and Clay are respectively comfortable in their roles, portraying exceptionally caring people who put themselves in disastrous situations. And the court-appointed therapist assigned to decide which home is a better environment for Wesley just adds to movie’s silliness.

There are no special features. (VVS Films)

X-Men: Apocalypse (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital copy)

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Fox Home Entertainment

After thousands of years, Apocalypse — the world’s first and most powerful mutant — has awakened to find a world led by humans. Intent on cleansing the Earth of mankind, he recruits a group of mutants to create a new world order. In a desperate race to save humanity, Professor X (James McAvoy) leads the young X-Men in an epic showdown against an unstoppable enemy, which will determine the fate of the world.

Apocalypse has always been a significant figure in the X-Men universe as his plethora of powers cause many (particularly humans) to liken him to a god. Moreover, he uses his influence to employ other noteworthy mutants as his four horsemen; in this instance, his recruits are a mix of familiar and fresh characters, some of which are given new and interesting story arcs. There are several narrative tracks unfolding in the film’s first half: the Professor reconnecting with Moira; Scott Summers, a.k.a. Cyclops, finding his way to the institute for gifted children; Eric, a.k.a. Magneto, once again being pushed to the brink; and Apocalypse’s origin and new rise to power (you’d never guess it was Oscar Isaac under all that makeup and prosthetics). However, they all converge for an impressive battle that utilizes all of the characters’ strengths. The newly imagined young Storm is definitely one of the most intriguing; conversely, even though a lot of hype was built around her introduction, Psylocke was mostly forgettable.

Special features include: commentary by Bryan Singer and Simon Kinberg; deleted scenes; “X-Men: Apocalypse Unearthed”; concept art and photo gallery; wrap party video; and gag reel. (Fox Home Entertainment)

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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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