This week’s releases include a hilarious jungle adventure; a new period soap opera; a fresh Western narrative; the last chapter in a troubled series; a charming hostage-taker; and half the Rat Pack.
Batwoman: The Third and Final Season (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Ryan Wilder (Javicia Leslie) must now lead the Bat Team in stopping the next wave of villains created by the weapons lost in the Gotham River during the suspenseful season two finale. On top of everything, Ryan will have to battle these villains with Alice (Rachel Skarsten) by her side! As a new generation of Rogues torments Gotham, Batwoman and Alice must work together to stop them, which is a predicament that threatens to upend the team’s existing dynamics for good.
Things are definitely different this season as Alice is determined to turn a new leaf — by hook or by crook when she finds out there’s a way to reverse her evil brain… if she can get to it first. In the meantime, she spends some time trying to reconnect with her stepsister, which of course doesn’t align with most family’s idea of valued sibling time. Ryan also makes headway in her search for her birth family, but what she finds is a far cry from open arms. The return of Poison Ivy, however, puts a wrench in everyone’s plans as she tries to execute her ultimate plan of returning Earth to its pre-human greenery. The series concludes in a manner that indicates Gotham will continue to be protected by the Bat Team and their story will go on without an audience, which was only mildly invested anyway.
Special features include: deleted scenes; “Batwing: A Hero’s Journey”; and gag reel. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
Desperate Hours (Blu-ray)
In dire need of a hideout, escaped convict Michael Bosworth (Mickey Rourke) uses his charming smile to gain entry into the posh home of Nora and Tim Cornell (Mimi Rogers and Sir Anthony Hopkins) and their two children. While waiting for his beautiful lawyer-turned-accomplice (Kelly Lynch) to arrive, Bosworth’s smile soon explodes into homicidal rage when the Cornells desperately try to fight back. Holding the family at gunpoint and ruthlessly pitting husband against wife, Bosworth’s fury escalates into a shocking night of terror and cold-blooded murder. Finally, the family is forced to take a stand that will either destroy them… or unite them as never before.
This is the type of role in which Rourke shined, leveraging his good looks and unsettling charm to balance an unhinged personality. The escape is shockingly easy, while the hiding out turns out to be far more difficult as Bosworth’s accomplices may not be as trustworthy as he first thought. Under the gun, the family reacts in pure self-preservation, obeying when required and seeking other options at every opportunity. Not surprisingly, Bosworth does not like being challenged and is too smart not to detect their subterfuge. The parallel story revolves around the manhunt and relies on the one part of the movie writers need audiences to believe, but is the hardest pill to swallow because it makes Bosworth uncharacteristically gullible.
Special features include: behind-the-scenes featurette; photo gallery; and theatrical trailer. (MVD Rewind Collection)
The Gilded Age: The Complete First Season (DVD)
The series takes place during a period of immense economic change, of huge fortunes made and lost, and the rise of disparity between old money and new. A wide-eyed young scion of a conservative family, Marian (Louisa Jacobson), embarks on a mission to infiltrate the wealthy neighboring clan of her aunts, Agnes van Rhijn (Christine Baranski) and Ada Brook (Cynthia Nixon), dominated by ruthless railroad tycoon George Russell (Morgan Spector) and his ambitious wife, Bertha (Carrie Coon), meeting new people like aspiring writer Peggy Scott (Denée Benton), along the way. In this exciting new world that is on the brink of the modern age, will Marian follow the established rules of society, or forge her own path?
This series is HBO’s answer to Netflix’s Bridgerton, though it takes place some years later and in a different part of the world — so, it’s just different enough. However, notably, it’s actually more compelling than its counterpart’s second season, even without relying heavily on sexual encounters. Instead, this series finds its drama in bitter social rivalries and cutthroat business dealings that prove to actually be fatal. The divide between old and new money is drastic, in spite of them being very similar in many ways. Nonetheless, there are moments of significant embarrassment that cannot go unanswered, resulting in swift and public reprisal. Of course, there’s also a young woman making a terrible mistake by committing to marry a man in secret and a young man pursuing a girl even though his feelings are insincere. Peggy is the odd person out in this narrative, making her one of the more interesting characters.
Special features include: “Inside the Episodes”; “All That Glitters: Creating The Gilded Age”; “Old Money vs New: The Heart of the Matter”; “Who’s Who Featurettes”; “Invitation To Set”; “Carrie Coon BTS”; and “Writing Peggy.” (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
The Lost City (4K Ultra HD & Digital copy)
Loretta Sage’s (Sandra Bullock) novels are filled with ancient tombs and daring adventures, but that doesn’t mean she’s prepared for them in real life. When she is kidnapped by an eccentric billionaire (Daniel Radcliffe) to locate a legendary lost city, Loretta’s handsome cover model, Alan (Channing Tatum), sets off on a heroic but hapless rescue mission. Thrust into an epic thrill-ride through the jungle, the unlikely pair must work together to survive the elements — and each other — to find the city’s fabled treasure before it’s lost forever.
This movie certainly appears to get its jumping off point from Romancing the Stone, but then it becomes its own film and a pretty delightful one at that. The mishap-riddled adventure is fast-paced and fun as the pair are regularly chased through the jungle and shot at by large, scary men. But the beauty of the Dominican Republic is another character in the film as they capture stunning waterfalls and shoot in a small village built into the side of a mountain. The chemistry between Bullock and Tatum is the picture’s best asset as they’re able to effortlessly play off of each other. On the other hand, Radcliffe is an excellent villain with a tinge of crazy.
Special features include: deleted scenes; “Dynamic Duo”; “Location Profile”; “Jungle Rescue”; “The Jumpsuit”; “Charcuterie”; “Villains of The Lost City”; and “Building The Lost City.” (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Salt & Pepper / One More Time double feature (Blu-ray)
Salt and Pepper (1968): Legendary Rat-Packers Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford are London’s coolest cats taking on England’s craziest criminals! When a sexy spy turns up dead in their ultra-cool nightclub, owners Salt (Davis) and Pepper (Lawford) are recruited by the British Secret Service to help solve the crime. But when they discover a plot to overthrow the government — and no one will believe them — they’re forced to go it alone, battling clueless cops and rioting revolutionaries! Directed by Richard Donner (Superman, Lethal Weapon).
One More Time (1970): Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford reprise their roles as nightclub-owners-turned-detectives — this time under the direction of comic genius Jerry Lewis. When his rich twin brother turns up dead, Pepper (Lawford) secretly assumes his identity — only to discover that his twin brother didn’t just die…he was murdered! Now Pepper and Salt (Davis) are plunged into a wild caper filled with devilish double-crosses and a diabolical crew of diamond smugglers with an evil plot to put them both on ice!
It’s not surprising that even just one-half of the Rat Pack would deliver entertaining hijinks when they find themselves in a bizarre situation. The first film is a classic spy comedy in which the pair is repeatedly put in the middle of a caper that they want nothing to do with, but can’t seem to avoid. Dead bodies keep turning up in their apartments and assassins in their club. Yet, they can’t help but mess with the bungling detectives convinced the two are clever murderers. The second movie is slightly odder and less compelling as it revolves around Pepper going undercover to further his own means. Moreover, the pair have less opportunity to display their chemistry, which is a significant detriment to the picture.
Special features include: trailers. (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)
That Dirty Black Bag: Season 1 (Blu-ray)
In a town full of bounty hunters, bandits and bloody vendettas, Arthur McCoy (Dominic Cooper) is the incorruptible sheriff who’s trying to overcome his troubled past to bring law and order to this new frontier. On the other side of things is Red Bill (Douglas Booth), an infamous solitary bounty hunter known for decapitating his victims and stuffing their heads into a dirty black bag. When the paths of these two men collide, they both learn that in the wild west, there are no heroes, nobody is invincible, and the predators may become the prey.
While this is undoubtedly a Western, it most aligns with later entries into the genre in which there’s no clear-cut line between the heroes and the villains. Red Bill is a vigilante bounty hunter, carrying the heads of his kills in a bag with the intention of eventually claiming their rewards. McCoy is a crooked sheriff, bending and breaking the law to line his pockets with money. But throughout the season, audiences learn more about their histories and what brought them to this moment in their lives. As their stories expand, so too does the world and breadth of characters involved, weaving a tale in which everyone is connected one way or another.
There are no special features. (AMC Networks)
