Devil’s Revenge (Blu-ray & Soundtrack CD)
John Brock (Jason Brooks) is a down-on-his-luck archaeologist who returns from an expedition to the caves of rural Kentucky after unsuccessfully trying to locate a mysterious relic that his family has sought for generations. Upon his return, John starts to see dream-like visions of a ferocious bird-like creature from ancient folklore. John soon learns that the cave he came into contact with on his last expedition was indeed the cave that contains the relic, as well as a portal to Hell and a place of worship for the Occult. John discovers the only way to stop the increasingly realistic visions is to go back to the cave with his family, find the relic once and for all, and destroy it.
After John’s return, his perception of reality becomes very skewed as he starts to see not only visions of the cultists, but different sides of his family. He tries to ignore it, but it all becomes increasingly more real and dangerous. His family doesn’t understand the severity of his hallucinations or the risk involved in retrieving the relic. However, when John’s father (William Shatner) convinces John’s wife (Jeri Ryan) they must return as a family, he caves to her “I won’t take ‘no’ for an answer” and endangers all their lives. There isn’t enough background included in the picture to really draw audiences in as the worshippers are more of a device to tell this mind-bending story rather than an integral plot point.
Special features include: theatrical trailer. (MVD Visual)
Galaxy Quest [20th Anniversary Steelbook] (Blu-ray)
The alumni cast of a space opera television series have to play their roles as the real thing when an alien race invites them onto their fully functional replica ship. However, the catch is they also have to defend both Earth and the alien race from a reptilian warlord.
This movie was an unlikely cult favourite that found its way into people’s hearts with its kind but naïve aliens. With Tim Allen, Alan Rickman, Sam Rockwell, Tony Shalhoub and sci-fi veteran Sigourney Weaver leading the human cast, their characters’ differing demeanours are sure to create tension though the humour is delivered in many other ways as well. The fact that the aliens believe the TV show was a historic archive leads to many misunderstandings, particularly around their preferred foods and ship expertise. However, next to the aliens, the next best experts are the show’s diehard fans, which adds another layer of fun to the picture as Justin Long‘s character is called upon to help save the universe in between taking out the garbage like his mom asked. There’s a lot to love about this movie and now it’s in a collectible steelbook.
Special features include: deleted scenes; “Galactopedia”; “Historical Documents: The Story of Galaxy Quest”; “Never Give Up, Never Surrender: The Intrepid Crew of the NSEA Protector”; “By Grabthar’s Hammer, What Amazing Effects”; “Alien School—Creating the Thermian Race”; “Actors in Space”; “Sigourney Weaver Raps”; and theatrical trailer. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Satanic Panic (Blu-ray)
Sam’s (Hayley Griffith) first day as a pizza delivery driver is not going according to plan. At the end of a long day and not enough tips, her last delivery turns out to be for a group of Satanists looking for someone to sacrifice. Now in a fight for her life, Sam must fend off witches, evil spells and demonic creatures, all while trying to keep her body — and soul — intact.
The title isn’t really accurate as that phrase generally refers to an over-exaggerated fear of mostly non-existent, murderous Satanists, whereas the Satanists in this movie are not imaginary and seem to kill people regularly. Sam’s backstory is probably more interesting than her attempts to avoid being sacrificed, but it’s only glossed over in a scene with bigger issues to address. The Satanists are a group of suburbanites who want to stay on top by any means necessary, though their leader, played by Rebecca Romijn, is more powerful and conniving than her entire group put together. The whole movie stumbles through the would-be victims’ attempts to survive, and the cult’s efforts to find and kill them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t flow smoothly and the comedy feels forced.
Special features include: making-of featurette; “Sam & Judi”; and “Girl Power.” (RLJ Entertainment)
Scarface [Gold Edition] (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Digital copy)
In the spring of 1980, the port at Mariel Harbor was opened, and thousands set sail for the United States. They came in search of the American Dream. In this fictional account, one of them found it on the sun-washed avenues of Miami… wealth, power and passion beyond his wildest dreams. He was Tony Montana (Al Pacino). The world will remember him by another name… Scarface.
Pacino has had a number of memorable roles over his illustrious career, having worked with some of the greatest directors. But one of the most notable aspects of the characters he’s played is they are never the same. Tony Montoya and Michael Corleone may be in similar businesses, but they couldn’t be more different from each other. Tony is a Cuban immigrant who is determined to capitalize on the opportunities presented in this new land. He quickly makes connections with a local kingpin and makes himself an important part of local operations. But it’s not long before he gives in to lust, greed, anger and ambition, killing his way to the top of the ladder. The film is based on real-life news stories from the period with some of the most violent scenes emerging straight from the headlines. But the violence is meaningless without the excellent performance by Pacino, Steven Bauer and Michelle Pfeiffer.
Special features include: deleted scenes; making-of featurette; “Scarface: 35th Anniversary Reunion”; “The Scarface Phenomenon”; “The World of Tony Montana”; “The Rebirth”; “The Acting”; “The Creating”; and TV version. (Universal Home Entertainment)
Stuber (Blu-ray)
When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu (Kumail Nanjiani) picks up Paul (Dave Bautista), who turns out to be a cop hot on the trail of a brutal killer, Stu is thrust into a harrowing ordeal in which he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life and his five-star rating.
This is a comedy firmly placed in the present as it plays on people’s reliance on app-based car driving services to get around. Consequently, a couple of decades from now when the concept has been replaced by something else, future audiences may find the whole idea as amusing as pagers and giant computers seem now. In any case, the film owes most of its comedy to the on-screen chemistry between Nanjiani and Bautista. They are polar opposites in many ways, but their reluctant and antagonistic camaraderie works well. Stu is the nice guy who always finishes last, while Paul is an alpha male who has trouble showing his feelings… except for dogs. The movie does a great job balancing the goofy humour and gun-toting action, while also allowing audiences time to connect with the characters.
Special features include: commentary by director Michael Dowse and actor Kumail Nanjiani; deleted scenes; “Joke-O-Rama”; gag reel; gallery; and theatrical trailer. (Fox Home Entertainment)
Tone-Deaf (Blu-ray)
After being dumped by both her boss and her boyfriend, Olive (Amanda Crew) flees the city for the weekend and rents an ornate country house from an old-fashioned widower named Harvey (Robert Patrick). She’s hoping for a few days of peace. What she gets is a weekend of sheer terror, as Olive awakens Harvey’s darkest urges — and is plunged into a blood-soaked fight for her life.
The dry humour in this movie simply doesn’t work as the whole picture may have been better if it was played with more menacing intent. It seems Harvey always wanted to be a serial killer and now he’s in a position where he feels like he can make that dream come true. However, his behaviour is erratic and often perverse as he attacks those around Olive while also stalking her from within his own home. Olive, in the meantime, is so determined to get her “peace and quiet” she doesn’t turn tail and run in spite of the many warning signs. The only thing done right is she’s established a pseudo-panic button to inform someone she’s in danger. Otherwise, the brutal killings and bizarre old man don’t offer much in the way of entertainment.
Special features include: making-of featurette. (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
The Toys That Made Us Seasons 1 & 2 (Blu-ray)
Netflix’s series offers a deep nostalgic dive into the minds behind history’s most iconic toy franchises, as they discuss the rise (and sometimes fall) of their billion-dollar creations. The eight-episode documentary series, as it was originally touted, focuses on the history of important toy lines such as Star Wars, Masters of the Universe, Barbie, G.I. Joe, Star Trek, Transformers, Lego, and Hello Kitty.
Being a collector and nerding out over your favourite fandom has never been as socially acceptable as it is now. While new generations fall in love with characters that have been around for decades, many are curious about the early days and how their beloved licenses became a household name — and, in some cases, extremely valuable collectable. This original series takes audiences back to the beginning, exploring how each license was born and how they’ve endured all these years. The fun part is the many blunders that happened behind the scenes or, in some cases, in the public eye as sub-par, non-canon products hit the market much to fans’ chagrin. You don’t have to be a diehard fan to enjoy the many anecdotes shared in these often candid interviews, though you may find yourself regretting discarding that toy when you were a kid.
Special features include: deleted scenes; featurette with show creator Brian Volk-Weiss; “Barbie 80’s Marketing”; “More Stores That Made Us: GI Joe the Story of COBRA”; “More Stores That Made Us: Us Selling the Show”; Jim Swearingen extended interview; Peter Cullen extended interview; Todd McFarlane on LEGO; Todd McFarlane on Star Trek; and Hideki Yoke/Takara Tour. (Nacelle Company)
Ultra Q Complete Series (Blu-ray)
The black & white sci-fi drama focused on Mainichi Shimpo photojournalist Yuriko Edogawa (Hiroko Sakurai), Hoshikawa Airlines pilot/SF writer Jun Manjome (Kenji Sahara) and his co-pilot Ippei Togawa (Yasuhiko Saijo), who partnered to investigate mysterious events occurring in and around Japan. These phenomena often involved aliens and giant monsters, many of whom would return in future Ultraman shows and movies.
Though this was the predecessor to the Ultraman series, it resembles The X-Files more than The Power Rangers. Each episode had the ragtag team of investigators looking into a case of unusual phenomenon. In most cases, it was some sort of monster terrorizing people. Tsuburaya Productions was founded by special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya, who co-created Toho Studios’ iconic movie monsters Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra. Therefore, it’s not surprising to see a heavy focus on oversized, destructive creatures in the show. Each episode offers a new invader to intercept, while also building out the relationships between the main characters.
Special features include: 28-page collectible booklet. (Mill Creek Entertainment)
Ultraman Complete Series (Blu-ray)
A giant alien from the Land of Light in Nebula M78, enters Earth’s atmosphere in pursuit of an escaped space monster. In the skies above Japan, he accidentally crashes into a Jet VTOL piloted by Hayata (Susumu Kurobe), a member of the Science Special Search Party (SSSP), an international research and defense agency that protects the world from monsters and aliens of all shapes and sizes. To save Hayata, Ultraman merges his life force with the dying human and vows to stay and fight for peace on Earth. Now, whenever the Patrol faces a threat too great for them to handle, Hayata transforms into Ultraman to save the day.
Even though this series would take a new approach to monster-fighting, it’s still considered the follow-up season to Ultra Q — and in case there was any doubt, the new logo actually overthrows the original name in the title credits. This was Tsuburaya Productions’ first colour series, encompassing multiple genres under one umbrella, including sci-fi, action, adventure and drama. Now, instead of just investigating and thwarting the enemy, they have the ability to stand-up to the monsters in a one-on-one battle thanks to Ultraman’s gift to Hayata. The first episode is rather intense as a rescue party sets out to find the fallen pilot, while fearing the worst. However, it opens the door for the types of large-scale fights Tsuburaya was known for and paved the way for shows like The Power Rangers.
Special features include: 28-page collectible booklet. (Mill Creek Entertainment)
Veronica Mars (2019): The Complete First Season (DVD)
Spring breakers are getting murdered in Neptune, thereby decimating the seaside town’s lifeblood tourist industry. After Mars Investigations is hired by the parents of one of the victims to find their son’s killer, Veronica (Kristen Bell) is drawn into an epic eight-episode mystery that pits the enclave’s wealthy elites, who would rather put an end to the month-long bacchanalia, against a working class that relies on the cash influx that comes with being the West Coast’s answer to Daytona Beach.
This is the sequel fans have been craving. All the key characters return with some only dropping in for brief appearances. Veronica is all grown up now and she’s become the hard-drinking, fun-loving adult everyone expected with a handsome boyfriend that supports her career. Her sarcasm is still on point, her detective skills have only gotten better with time and her relationship with her dad is better than ever. The case proves to be quite dangerous — a fact Veronica seems oblivious to — as it’s inadvertently raised the interest of a cartel and may also involve local crime syndicates. However, the show is still as much about the case as it is the people, and Veronica is still a character that’s enjoyable to watch and join on her ups and downs. Even though the season ends by dropping a bomb, it tosses in some closure so there’s no loose ends.
Special features include: “Veronica Mars at Comic Con 2019.” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
