This week’s releases include an unique crime drama; an animated tale of finding one’s place; a new, high-stakes season; a high school dramedy; and a sci-fi double feature.
The House of the Lost on the Cape (Blu-ray & DVD)
The movie follows 17-year-old run-away Yui and 8-year-old Hiyori, who lost her family and her voice. They have no place to go when they run into Kiwa, a strange old lady. She offers them a place to stay in a slightly banged-up old house overlooking the sea, a Mayoiga. Despite joining Kiwa on a whim, the two girls find comfort in Mayoiga, a legendary house said to look after lost travelers, and the warm hospitality of Kiwa. Both girls’ damaged hearts begin to heal little by little. Until one day, a variety of strange beings which Kiwa calls “Fushigitto” begin popping up around the house.
This is a story that blends fantasy and reality. The girls have each experienced significant hardships in their young lives, and Kiwa offers them room and board. Yui is skeptical at first, but as her suspicion wanes, they begin to embrace the warmth and safety provided by the old woman and her magical house. Both girls carry baggage that they will have to confront, but in the meantime they begin to rediscover what it’s like to be happy. As the narrative progresses, the mythical aspects of the story become more prominent with Kiwa relating local legends about their new home, while introducing them to some of her mystical friends. It’s a captivating story told through beautiful animation that uses warm, earthy tones.
Special features include: Director Shinya Kawatsura Special Q&A — Annecy Festival; and “Yui and Kiwa’s Secret Recipes.” (Eleven Arts & Shout Factory)
Kung Fu: The Complete Second Season (DVD)
Six months after the explosive events of season one, Nicky (Olivia Liang) and the Shens are in a great place: Nicky’s been using her Kung Fu skills to keep Chinatown safe, she and Henry (Eddie Liu) are only deeper in love, and the family are all in the know about Nicky’s extracurricular activities. Everything’s great…until the reemergence of Russell Tan (Kee Chan) and the surprise appearance of Nicky’s cousin, Mia (Vanessa Yao).
This season has a much different tone from the first as Nicky is no longer keeping secrets from her family. In fact, they actually spend a lot of time working together, combining their unique skills to find artifacts and protect their family. Mia’s arrival alters what Nicky thought she understood about their family’s heritage, pushing her to dig deeper into the legends and uncover a potential threat. In the meantime, Mia has difficulty accepting her new family and the potential truth about herself — doubts that Zhilan uses to try to sway Mia to join her instead. However, all the family drama pales in comparison to the possible world-ending event Russell Tan is threatening to unleash… unless they can stop him.
Special features include: gag reel. (Warner Bros. Home Entertainment)
Mayor of Kingstown: Season One (Blu-ray)
The McLusky family are power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan, where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.
This is somewhat of a unique drama as it intersects many worlds not usually connected. Mitch (Kyle Chandler) is the eldest McLusky brother, skilled at bridging the gaps between criminals, administrators, police and prison guards. Mike (Jeremy Renner) understands the complexities and delicate nature of these relationships, but is far less diplomatic than his brother when a point needs to made. Kyle (Taylor Handley) is the youngest, a detective in the local police force who is frequently called upon to lend his badge to the cause. While their mother (Dianne Wiest) tries to keep a distance from their seedy dealings, even she can’t escape the town’s lifeblood, teaching in the women’s prison. Almost nothing is predictable as everything they do defies moral logic and exploits some ethically questionable loophole.
Special features include: making-of featurette; “Behind the Stories”; “Zero Sum Game: The Finale”; Inside Mayor of Kingstown”; “People of Kingstown”; and cast favorite scenes. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
Mean Girls steelbook (Blu-ray & Digital copy)
After living in Africa with her zoologist parents, Cady Heron (Lindsay Lohan) must brave the wilds of high school — where she is taken under the wing of the popular girls, The Plastics, led by the cool and cruel Regina George (Rachel McAdams).
This film really has some legs — figuratively and literally. The girls are expectedly beautiful with their salon perfect hair, fashionable wardrobes and handsome boyfriends. But in a crowd of their classmates, they definitely stick out and not always in a positive way. In addition, the film sparked a massive following, created catchphrases, generated several memorable moments, and inspired a Broadway musical. Cady is already an anomaly as she’s completely unaware of high school cliques and hierarchies, and ripe to be influenced by the power of popularity… though her initial efforts to sabotage The Plastics are pretty amusing. Tim Meadows plays the confused and ill-prepared principal, while the film’s writer, Tina Fey, is the cynical teacher who probably grew up with her own group of Plastics and still can’t seem to escape them as an adult.
Special features include: commentary by director Mark Waters, screenwriter and actress Tina Fey, and producer Lorne Michaels; deleted scenes with optional commentary; “Only the Strong Survive”; “The Politics of Girl World”; “Plastic Fashion”; and “Word Vomit (blooper reel).” (Paramount Home Entertainment)
War of the Worlds (1953) and When Worlds Collide (4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & Digital copy)
Two of the most iconic science fiction epics are offered in this limited edition double feature. Making its 4K UHD debut, The War of the Worlds is an Oscar-winning adaptation of the chilling H.G. Wells novel. Then, there’s impending disaster when a runaway star signals the destruction of Earth in When Worlds Collide.
Wells’ novel has been adapted for the screen a number of times as movies and TV shows. This technicolor film depicts a hostile alien race crashlanding on Earth and then proceeding to eradicate the human population. Wars are waged against the impenetrable spacecrafts across the globe, while hysteria overwhelms major cities. Of course, the solution proves to be entirely non-violent. Then, in When Worlds Collide, humankind faces a cataclysmic event as another planet’s trajectory is set to collide with Earth’s. The only hope for preserving the human race is an ark that resembles an amusement park ride. Naturally, both films feature fresh love interests that must strive to survive in the face of certain doom.
Special features include: commentary by actors Ann Robinson and Gene Barry; commentary by film director Joe Dante, film historian Bob Burns and author Bill Warren; “The Sky is Falling: Making The War of the Worlds”; “H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction”; “The Mercury Theatre on the Air Presents The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast”; and theatrical trailer. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
