Welcome back to This Week In Discs where we check out tomorrow’s new releases today!
Black Mountain Side
The greatest archaeological find of the century has been discovered. At least that’s what the on-site team believes. They’ve uncovered what looks to be the top of a stone monument belonging to a culture with no previous record of being in this part of the world. They debate the validity of the find, play poker, and make plans for the fame in their future, but their celebration is short-lived. The group’s pet cat is murdered, they lose radio contact with civilization, and the local workers, superstitious and terrified, flee into the wintry darkness towards guaranteed death. Madness and mistrust infect the remaining men, and then? Then things go really bad.
This below-the-radar horror film is a beautifully-shot and creepy love letter to John Carpenter’s The Thing that finds its own identity amid the paranoia and bloodletting. It unfolds against a gorgeously photographed landscape of trees and cabins slowly suffocating beneath a falling snow as the icy precipitation, like dirt shoveled over a grave, threatens to bury them all along with this prehistoric, non-denominational evil. The camera works in glorious tandem with scenes of silence as we move around the cabin exteriors, sampling the terror-tinged air being involuntarily inhaled by the men and wondering what’s watching them from just out of view. There’s more madness than monsters here, but it’s a terrifically atmospheric nightmare all the same.
[DVD extras: None]
Related Product:
Black Mountain Side
DVD | MONARCH HOME VIDEO
$17.99 on Amazon
Nikkatsu Diamond Guys: Volume 1
Asako was a telephone operator who made the news after a wrong number put her on the line with a killer, but while the man was never caught she hears the voice again years later in her very own home. Jiro is new tough guy on the streets of Kobe, but as the police close in he finds a reason to leave his life of crime behind. Shinji is just a man with a guitar, but his song-filled life takes a turn when he joins up with some undesirables.
Japan’s Nikkatsu is not only one of the country’s oldest film studios but they’re also one of the most varied. They’ve delivered all manner of movies throughout the years, and Arrow Video’s fantastic new collection — the first in a series — zeroes in on a decade of contracted stars, gangster dramas, and thrillers infused by Western influences. All three films here are solid genre pics, and while they deliver the expected beats they do so with style. Arrow’s new Blu brings them to the U.S. for the first time, with cleaned-up HD transfers and a tangible affection for cinema history. Bring on Volume 2!
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Limited edition, featurette, photo gallery, booklet]
Related Product:
Nikkatsu Diamond Guys: Vol. 1 (3-Disc Special Edition) [Blu-ray + DVD]
Blu-ray | Arrow Video
$34.99 on Amazon
Unreal: Season 1
Everlasting is a popular reality show hoping to continue its reign as the best dating competition on TV, but as their latest season starts the cracks and bumps become immediately clear. Rachel (Shiri Appleby) returns to produce after having a very public and financially costly breakdown last season, and her dramas come with her. She’s pulled between a man she loved and a man she could love, but she’s also dealing with emotional issues stemming from her own life and an increasing desire to do good instead of the bad required to make this show soar in the ratings.
The Bachelor is a show I’ll never watch, and Lifetime is a channel I frequently joke about, but the network’s ten-episode dramedy about the behind-the-scenes antics of a dating show is absolutely fantastic. It’s a tremendous mix of dark comedy and sad observations on both those making the show and those who choose to star on it, and while there are plenty of bad and/or mean decisions being made by everyone, Appleby makes Rachel a manipulator with real heart. Add in great turns by Constance Zimmer and Craig Bierko and you have a fast-moving and wickedly on-point show worth watching.
[DVD extras: Featurettes]
Related Product:
Unreal: Season 1 [DVD + Digital]
DVD | LIONSGATE
$19.99 on Amazon
The Assassin
Yie (Shu Qi) was abducted as a child and forced to endure years of elaborate and difficult training in the arts of combat and killing. Finally, she’s ready for the mission that was set in motion long ago and dispatched to assassinate a target, but the path to revenge is never as straightforward as it appears. Director Hou Hsiao-hsien’s newest film is an absolute stunner on the visual front with landscapes, imagery, and set-pieces that nearly redefine beauty, and the always reliable Qi fits in perfectly with that aesthetic. The film moves at a pace that seems at odds with the revenge sub-genre, but patience is never a bad thing to ask of viewers. All of that said though, it’s a pretty film that fails to reward that patience with anything but a disjointed and poorly-told tale. It’s a simple story, complete with a twist of sorts, but the script and structure drain our interest long before the final act is complete.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Behind the scenes]
Burnt
Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper) was once on top of the culinary world, but his addictions and bad attitude left it all in ruins. He left Paris behind in disgrace and settled in New Orleans where he sentenced himself to a “penance” of shucking one million oysters, and now the time has come for a return to his former glory. Adam heads to London, maneuvers his way into the head chef position at an old acquaintance’s restaurant, and hand-picks his kitchen team with an eye on earning his third Michelin star. He’s surrounded by supporters and enemies, but the only one standing in his way is Adam Jones. John Wells’ third feature as director aims to be a story about a bad-boy underdog forced to accept his weaknesses in order to find his strengths, and while it accomplishes that it accomplishes only that. Writer Steven Knight’s script shows none of the complexity or depth he brought to Locke and instead settles for a tale that simply ticks off the boxes as each expected course appears onscreen. Adam faces a challenge, fails, and then succeeds. What you see is what you get, no substitutions allowed.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Commentary, deleted scenes, featurette, Q&A]
Goosebumps
Zach and his mom are new in town and trying to start anew after the death of Zach’s father a year ago. He quickly meets a mysterious neighbor named Hannah before being shut down by her dad (Jack Black) who tells him to stay far away from her. A dangerous mix of boredom and testosterone leaves that a non-starter for Zach though, and it’s not long before he discovers Hannah’s father’s secret. He’s R.L. Stine. The creepy crawlies and malevolent monsters in his books are real, and when Zach accidentally lets one out it’s not long before the town is overrun with evil entities intent on staying free. Unfortunately though, the ghouls, goblins, and Abominable Snowman all pale beside the film’s biggest horror — the outdated and insulting notion that boys rule and girls drool. It’s playful though and works to create a harmless, fast-moving environment and an energetic tale that plays like the second half of Jumanji infused with Stine’s creations. The destruction entertains for a little while on the power of the visuals alone, and a few of the gags work, but for the most part the film disappoints with a too-simple story and a lack of appreciation for girl power.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Deleted/alternate scenes,bloopers, featurettes]
Jack’s Back (Scream Factory)
A serial killer is slicing and dicing his way through the sex workers on the streets of Los Angeles. Is it a coincidence that it’s also the 100 year anniversary of Jack the Ripper’s similar onslaught in the back alleys of London? James Spader plays twin brothers — one of whom is murdered while the other becomes a suspect — and he brings his typical mix of energy and calm to a character who may or may not be the killer. It’s not the fastest or most exciting thriller, but writer/director Rowdy Herrington keeps the film moving and viewers engaged with some action beats and a handful of twists. The script does manage some effective red herrings early on even if it does slowly become more obvious as the story unfolds. Still, ’80s Spader is always worth a watch. Scream Factory brings the film to Blu-ray with an HD transfer and a couple of new special features.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Commentary, interviews]
Meet the Patels
Ravi Patel is an Indian-American making a living in Los Angeles as an actor, but as his 30th birthday approaches he’s forced to put his love life into his parents’ hands. He just exited a two-year relationship that they never knew about, so as far as they’re concerned he’s never had a real girlfriend. With his sister, Geeta, acting as camerawoman and director, Ravi sets off on a trip to India, an excursion into the world of online dating, a series of weddings, and more to find an Indian woman to date and hopefully marry. The pair co-direct this documentary and offer an amusing and engaging look into the Indian-American experience and the world of dating. Ravi, who was most recently seen on Master of None, is a funny guy, and while the story is basic and obvious in some ways his humor and the love of his family make for an enjoyable film.
[DVD extras: None]
The New Girlfriend
Claire and Laura were best friends since childhood, but when Laura dies her husband David (Romain Duris) reveals a life-changing secret to Claire (Anaïs Demoustier). He feels compelled to dress in women’s clothes, has for some time, and Laura was aware. Bonded by both a feeling of loss and the attraction they always felt for Laura, Claire and David grow close with unexpected results. 2015 saw the arrival of The Danish Girl, Tangerine, and Transparent, but they were all preceded by this dramatic but sexy character study of a man compelled to dress like a woman. The film explores his needs and desires well, but the addition of Claire’s character elevates the psychological tension and eroticism in dramatically thrilling ways. Duris is unsurprisingly strong, but it’s Demoustier who delivers a compelling portrait of a woman in doubt. Director Francois Ozon has never been one to shy away from complicated adult tales, and he’s not about to change that attitude.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Behind the scenes, deleted scenes]
Sonny Boy (Scream Factory)
When Weasel (Brad Dourif) kills a couple and brings their stolen car to his boss (Paul L. Smith) the pair are surprised to discover a baby in the backseat. They decide to kill the child, but they’re stopped by the boss’ transvestite “wife” (David Carradine). Instead, they cut off the boy’s tongue and raise him like a feral creature. Cut to eighteen years later and that decision begins to show some unintended consequences for the crime family and the entire rest of the town. This is an extremely odd little thriller — obviously — and just as it mixes violence with gallows humor there’s also a shifting in the tone. It begins with some harsh brutality and sets the stage for a grim and bloody dramatic thriller, but as things progress it simmers down to be more of a romp as the mute young man finds love. Needless to say, the strength is in the first half of the film.
[Blu-ray/DVD extras: Commentaries]
A Brilliant Young Mind, Chi-Raq, Comin’ at Ya!, DaVinci’s Demons: The Complete Season Three, Downton Abbey: Season 6, Naz & Maalik