The Missing: A Starz Limited Series (Blu-ray Review)
When five year-old Oliver Hughes disappears while on holiday in France, it sets off a nearly decade-long search for his whereabouts. “The Missing,” a STARZ Limited Series, is a dramatic thriller that takes you inside the mind of a father, Tony (played by James Nesbitt of The Hobbit trilogy and Jekyll), desperate to locate his lost son. With help from a legendary detective (played by Tchéky Karyo of Goldeneye and The Patriot), Tony embarks on an obsessive quest to find his son and those responsible for his disappearance. A gripping puzzle with twists and turns at every stage, Tony’s exhaustive search fractures his relationship with his wife, Emily (played by Frances O’Connor of “Mr. Selfridge” and A.I.: Artificial Intelligence), and threatens to destroy his life. Told through a complex narrative, “The Missing” unfolds over two time frames simultaneously. Continue reading ‘The Missing: A Starz Limited Series (Blu-ray Review)’
From one Monty Python veteran’s film to the other, Olive Films is also giving Terry Jones’ Erik The Viking a Blu-ray update. Terry Jones’ also wrote the children’s book The Saga Of Erik The Viking several years before shooting this movie. Aside from the titles being very much in common, the book and the movie have really nothing to do with each other and in common. As you can quickly see in the opening scene, the movie is definitely not for the kiddies that the book was pleasing. Like Yellowbeard, I guess you could call refer to this as one of the Monty Python “spinoffs”. Where, one of them either wrote or directed it (In this case both), it carries the same kind of vibe, and then has one or two of them take roles in the movie. I dunno, but I like to see it that way. 
Yellowbeard has plenty of Monty Python members in it, but its not of their official canon of films. This was some sort of Graham Chapman passion project that he spent many scripts and years trying to get funding. The late The Who drummer Keith Moon wound up being that benefactor and was supposed to be the lead in the film until his health went south. Other such as Sting and Adam Ant were supposed to play the role at one point, but it wound up being played by Chapman himself in the end. Other members of Monty Python such as John Cleese and Eric Idle have roles in the film and both have claimed it as one of the very worst (If not THE worst) films they’ve ever taken part in. So, of course that means its ripe for going back and analyzing in a new Blu-ray release from Olive Films. 
Ski School is a little cult film from 1991 revolving around…yeah you guessed it, a Ski School. The film is a little sex comedy that didn’t make a tick at the box office but managed to attract a crowd on VHS. So much of one that a sequel was made and released in 1994. Now, there is cause for celebration for this Olive Films release of the film by its fans because the DVD of the film was a complete miss. Released in 2007, the DVD for the film only featured the film in a Pan and Scan edit. SUCKFEST! Apparently the DVD even said it was widescreen on the box. Rest assured Ski School enthusiasts, you can now see the film as it played in theaters and was meant to be seen courtesy of Olive Films. 
A lost soul has just received the wounds of Christ… and a shocking message that will alter history. Featuring performances from Patricia Arquette (TV’sMedium, Boyhood) and Gabriel Byrne (The Usual Suspects) with a cutting -edge score by Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins and Elia Cmiral, the visceral thriller Stigmata will make its blu-ray debut courtesy of Scream Factory. Stigmata comes loaded with bonus features, includingthe featurettes Incredible But True – Stigmata: Marked For Life and Divine Rights: The Story Of Stigmata, which have been previously unavailable in the US; as well as audio commentary with director Rupert Wainwright, deleted scenes and more! 
Brace yourself for a mind-blowing thriller that delivers high-octane action, blood-soaked violence and a riveting tale of revenge in equal measure. From director Kurando Mitsutake, who dazed genre fans with his Samurai Avenger: The Blind Wolf, comes GUN WOMAN, a dark postmodern film-noir starring Japanese gore queen Asami (The Machine Girl, Dead Sushi). Watch crazy meet crazier in this no-holds-barred revenge flick whenGUN WOMAN arrives on Blu-ray™ and DVD from SCREAM FACTORY™. This film is a blood drenched revenge thriller with a a lot of disturbing elements wound into its finer details. Its one of the most extreme things I’ve seen Scream Factory put out as well. 
Can a glass of water kill? When you see a puddle on the floor, do you fear you’ll fall intoit? What if the stuff of life was a gateway into your worst dreams? Anchor Bay Entertainment presents the provocative and highly anticipated Canadian horror film The Drownsman. The Drownsman has captivated audiences at film festivals all over the world, including Fantasia Film Festival, Toronto After Dark, Buffalo Dreams Fantastic Film Festival and Buenos Aires Rojo Sangre Film Festival. Accolades include winning Best Horror Feature at Buffalo Dreams and Best Feature at Buenos Aires RSFF. The Drownsman was directed by Chad Archibald (Neverlost, Ejecta), written by Cody Calahan (Antisocial) and Chad Archibald, produced by Christopher Giroux (Dead All Night) and stars Michelle Mylett, Caroline Korycki, Gemma Bird Matheson, Sydney Kondruss, Clare Bastable and in the horrifying title role, Ry Barrett (Neverlost, Kingdom Come, If A Tree Falls). 
Ryan Gosling’s directorial debut film, “Lost River,” will debuted on Blu-ray and DVD this week. The film, which screened at the SXSW Film Festival, is also available via national digital release. The film, from Sierra Affinity, Phantasma Films and Bold Films, stars Christina Hendricks (TV’s “Mad Men”), Saoirse Ronan (“The Grand Budapest Hotel”), Iain De Caestecker (TV’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Matt Smith (TV’s “Doctor Who”), Reda Kateb (“Zero Dark Thirty”), Barbara Steele (TV’s “Dark Shadows”), with Eva Mendes (“The Place Beyond the Pines”), and Ben Mendelsohn (“The Dark Knight Rises”). In addition to directing the film, Ryan Gosling also wrote the screenplay. The producers are Marc Platt (“Into the Woods”), Gosling, Adam Siegel (“Drive”), Michael Litvak (“Nightcrawler”) and David Lancaster (“Nightcrawler”). Gary Michael Walters and Jeffrey Stott served as executive producers. Johnny Jewel (“Drive”) composed the film’s music. 
Scream Factory is going all “nature attacks” on us this month. They’re releasing four films over the span of two double feature Blu-rays. On May 26th, if you’re a fan of one of more of The Food Of The Gods, Frogs, Empire Of The Ants or Jaws Of Satan, then its your lucky day. Scream Factory has said that 2015 would see a lot more double features from them, and this month is a special treat. Not only do the double features themselves carry a nice them, but both of them together for the month all sort of carry that same levity and mission. Nature’s most fierce creatures, you know, frogs, ants, snakes and (giant) rats will all be coming for you for four straight features tearing and gnawing at you! 
Scream Factory is going all “nature attacks” on us this month. They’re releasing four films over the span of two double feature Blu-rays. On May 26th, if you’re a fan of one of more of The Food Of The Gods, Frogs, Empire Of The Ants or Jaws Of Satan, then its your lucky day. Scream Factory has said that 2015 would see a lot more double features from them, and this month is a special treat. Not only do the double features themselves carry a nice them, but both of them together for the month all sort of carry that same levity and mission. Nature’s most fierce creatures, you know, frogs, ants, snakes and (giant) rats will all be coming for you for four straight features tearing and gnawing at you! 
On May 5, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) will release GoodFellas on 2-Disc Blu-ray featuring a new documentary with interviews from Robert De Niro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harvey Keitel, Ray Liotta and more, and a 36-page photo book exploring the films far-reaching influence. The book also includes a letter written by Martin Scorsese. The 25th Anniversary Blu-ray release of GoodFellas, cited by film critic Roger Ebert as the best mob movie ever, has been remastered from a 4K scan of the original camera negative, supervised by Martin Scorsese. The Blu-ray release also includes Digital HD with UltraViolet. Fans can also own GoodFellas on Digital HD via purchase from digital retailers. 
This spring, rev up your engines and get ready to relive the explosive action, daring stunts and high-octane thrills when the 1991 action smash hit HARLEY DAVIDSON AND THE MARLBORO MAN arrives for the first time on Blu-ray from Shout! Factory. Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler, Sin City) and Don Johnson (A Boy and His Dog, TV’s Miami Vice) star in this genre collision of biker movie, heist thriller and buddy flick that will take you to the hardline of action and adventure! Co-starring Tom Sizemore (Natural Born Killers), Chelsea Field (The Last Boy Scout), Tia Carrere (True Lies) and Vanessa Williams (Shaft), this relentlessly explosive actioner just may prove that “it’s better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool.” 
