This week’s releases include a timeless love story, a superhero extravaganza, a ruthless family drama and an unconventional tale of time travel.
Aporia (Blu-ray)
Since losing her husband Mal (Edi Gathegi) in a drunk-driving incident, Sophie (Judy Greer) has struggled to manage crippling grief, a full-time job and the demands of parenting her devastated teenage daughter (Faithe Herman). When her husband’s best friend Jabir (Payman Maadi), a former physicist, reveals that he has been building a time-bending machine that could restore her former life, Sophie is faced with an impossible choice — and unforeseeable consequences.
This is an atypical time travel movie as no one actually moves through time. Instead, their machine offers the ability to remove someone from history, potentially preventing an event’s occurrence and thus changing the future — the user’s present. Interestingly, those involved still only remember the original timeline, putting their memories out of sync with the updated ones. This creates some interesting conundrums that the characters must examine, beyond the expected moral dilemmas, and unforeseen outcomes of using the machine to alter the past. After several unexpected consequences, the conclusion is a bit vague as the characters must decide whether it’s right to continue tinkering with history.
Special features include: behind-the-scenes featurette; and trailer. (Well Go USA Entertainment)
The Princess Bride (Blu-ray)
A kid (Fred Savage), home sick from school, grudgingly allows his grandfather (Peter Falk) to read him a dusty storybook — which is how we meet the innocent Buttercup (Robin Wright) about to marry the nefarious Prince Humperdinck (Chris Sarandon), though her heart belongs to Westley (Cary Elwes). The wedding plans are interrupted, however, by a mysterious pirate, a vengeful Spaniard (Mandy Patinkin), and a good-natured giant (Andre the Giant).
This 1980s gem is a classic film that adapts an epic fairy tale for the screen with impeccable performers who deliver some of their best character acting. The framing story is that of a sick boy stuck in bed whose grandfather invites him into a wonderful world of love, betrayal, pirates, swordplay, monsters and revenge. There’s never a dull moment, engaging viewers from beginning to end. Some of the villains turn heroes, while others outsmart themselves. The cameos by Billy Crystal and Carol Kane are still some of the most memorable and there is dialogue that’s become part of the cultural zeitgeist. Though it may seem a little outdated now, this is a film that retains its charm indefinitely.
Special features include: commentary by director Rob Reiner, screenwriter William Goldman, producer Andrew Scheinman, and actors Billy Crystal and Peter Falk; edited audiobook reading of Goldman’s novel The Princess Bride by Reiner; program about Goldman’s screenplay; program about Goldman’s tapestry based on his novel; interviews with Reiner, Goldman, and actors Crystal, Cary Elwes, Christopher Guest, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Fred Savage and Robin Wright; interview with art director Richard Holland; programs about makeup, fencing and fairy tales; on-set video diary filmed and narrated by Elwes; five behind-the-scenes videos with commentaries by Reiner, Scheinman and Crystal; trailer; and essay by author Sloane Crosley and Goldman’s introduction to his Princess Bride script from his collection Four Screenplays, in a lavishly illustrated, clothbound book. (Criterion Collection)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital copy)
After reuniting with Gwen Stacy (Hailee Steinfeld), Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, Miles Morales (Shameik Moore), is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.
After a long absence, Gwen finally returns to visit Miles, but the reunion isn’t everything for which he’d hoped. Curious about where she’s been and why she’s been avoiding him, he follows her into another dimension. There, he finds an array of Spider-people and animals, including Peter Parker (Jake Johnson) and his adventurous infant Mayday. Unfortunately, his friends were keeping this world a secret for a reason that leaves Miles feeling betrayed. But he’s determined to find a solution no matter how difficult or how many Spiders try to stand in his way. With the many iterations of Spider-Man, this film is able to feature a very talented voice cast, including Oscar Isaac, Daniel Kaluuya, Issa Rae, Jason Schwartzman, Mahershala Ali, Andy Samberg, Jack Quaid and more.
Special features include: filmmaker commentary; deleted scene; “Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie”; “Raising a Hero”; “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast”; “Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs”; “’I’mma Do My Own Thing’ Interdimensional Destiny”; “Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions”; “Designing Spiders and Spots”; “Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse”; “Escape from Spider-Society”; “Across the Comics-Verse”; and lyric videos. (Sony Pictures Entertainment)
Succession: The Complete Series (DVD)
Power, politics, money… it’s all in the family in this provocative, satirical series about a highly dysfunctional dynasty. When Logan Roy (Brian Cox), the aging patriarch of one of the world’s largest media conglomerates considers retirement, his family members position themselves for a takeover. But tensions rise as corporate battles threaten to turn into a family civil war.
The series is a is a gripping and scandalous drama to be enjoyed by anyone with the stomach for their shenanigans. In the first season, Logan’s sudden illness vastly alters their family dynamics. Where Logan was once a respected patriarch, he’s now become an obstinate liability who refuses to relinquish control to his children. In spite of being related to each other, every member of this family is alarmingly cutthroat as each episode features a new and often surprising low for at least one of the Roys. In the second season, the family is forced to ban together as enemies approach from all directions, but some sacrifices may be too much to ask. At some point each season, viewers may think the show has reached its darkest point — and then it finds a way to reach even darker depths. In the third season, a precarious situation further exposes the family’s dysfunctionality as heartfelt discussions and fierce negotiations occur almost in tandem. Yet, the ending still manages to blindside everyone, including audiences. In the final season, the siblings are finally working together, but a wrench is once again thrown into their alliance by an unexpected turn of events that completely changes the media landscape. Now, they have an opportunity to truly make a difference… if they can overcome their individual ambitions.
Special features include: “Inside the Episode”; character recaps; and cast and crew interviews. (Warner Bros. Discovery Home Entertainment)
