Encapsulated Movie Reviews – Seven New And Old Indie Titles
Flicks from 2018 new and old are once again up on the cinematic chopping block in time for Thanksgiving – and to keep everyone’s year-end list up to date to boot. Docs on the damning effects of social media plus fictitious flicks featuring tales set in the old west, teens facing conversion therapy, internet models with doppelgangers, dysfunctional families that somehow work, wolves who hunt humans and South Korean murder mysteries make up the seven flicks dissected in this week’s edition of Encapsulated Movie Reviews. Check out the critical skinny on The Cleaners, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Cam, Shoplifters, Hold The Dark and Burning all below.
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Where do I even begin here? I don’t want to bore my readers talking about how much these Rocky franchise of movies adoringly mean to me. They are absolutely everything to me! They are my main sources of both perseverance and inspiration in life. One could even them call them my soundtrack for success, but I digress. If you’re interested in knowing the full story, you can catch up 
This is going to be a very short, but great press release! Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm and Chris Hemsworth lead an all-star cast in this powerful thriller filled with gripping suspense and startling revelations. Seven strangers, each with a secret to bury, meet at Lake Tahoe’s El Royale, a rundown hotel with a dark past. Over the course of one fateful night, everyone will have a last shot at redemption…before everything goes to hell. Add BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE to your Digital collection on Movies Anywhere December 18 and buy it on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD January 1st. Check it all the specs and extras below. 
The infamous killer Michael Myers strikes again inHalloween, arriving on Digital and via the digital movie app MOVIES ANYWHERE on December 28, 2018, as well as on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-rayTM, DVD and On Demand on January 15, 2019. Hailed by critics as “a near perfect blend of craft, character growth and nostalgia” (Perri Nemiroff, Collider), Halloween takes place four decades after Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis, Halloween Franchise, “Scream Queens”) narrowly escaped the masked Michael Myers’ brutal killing spree. Packed with bonus features including chilling deleted and extended scenes as well as special featurettes showing behind the scenes looks at creating the film, Halloween delivers spine-chilling, hair-raising intensity and thrills to both new and repeat viewers. 
Christopher Lee’s second outing as the eponymous Dracula pushes the cinematic boundaries of graphic gore and terror in this 1966 Hammer Films classic. Available as a Collector’s Edition Blu-ray December 18th from Scream Factory, this ghoulish tale from Hammer’s golden era includes both the UK and US version of the film and a new 4K scan of the US version of the interpositive from the 20th Century Fox vaults, as well as brand-new bonus features including a new audio commentary with author Troy Howarth, a new audio commentary with filmmaker Constantine Nasr and writer/producer Steve Haberman, and much more! Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com. 
Scream Factory has really found it rejuvenated in 2018 with a load of great new Collector’s Editions of classic horror films both new and old, any era really. I’m really looking forward to them tackling a Hammer Dracula film next month. Right now, we have Mike Dougherty’s modern cult classic and absolutely beloved Trick ‘r Treat film. The iconic Halloween anthology film is has been given a definitive and iconic release. Shipping delays and production issues have lead me to being one of the last people to have a copy of it, as many fans already have one in hand. Late or on time, it doesn’t matter, Why So Blu is going to have some coverage as someone will be searching for it at some time. Available since October, you can order this bad boy by clicking on the Amazon link below. 
One of the biggest holes in the United Stats Blu-ray library has been 1992’s Candyman, inspired by the Clive Barker short story “The Forbidden”. Available on a straightforward UK Blu-ray for many years, its come as a shocker considering its iconic villain (Played by the brilliant Tony Todd) and the fact it is considered one of the greatest horror films of the 1990s and all time. FINALLY, this is drought is over and it’ll will be releasing in spectacular fashion on November 20th when Scream Factory brings their 2-Disc Blu-ray to the table. Last month saw Arrow release a deluxe edition for the UK, but now its Scream Factory’s turn to wow us. Pre-order is available for this MUST HAVE title by clicking the Amazon link following the review. 
Much of Disney’s live action output has been live action renditions of previously animated films. There are some that have been interesting aspects or sort of follow ups to what may have come before. Christopher Robin, one of Disney’s later movies in its summer output, follows the life of Winnie the Pooh’s Christopher Robin long after he’d grown and left his childhood friends behind. The film did some solid box office, ALLLLMOST clearing $100 million in the US alone. I’m not sure the budget on the film as to know what degree of success it was or wasn’t. You can pick up the film already on Blu-ray as it was released on November 6th. The release comes with a DVD and a digital copy and nice little set of featurettes. Blu-ray only, no 4K Ultra-HD Blu-ray. 
While it shouldn’t have been, the box office success and juggernaut attitude of Crazy Rich Asians took the US by storm at the end of the summer. It played like a programmer of old, opening to $26 million and legging it all the way to over $173 million. I mean, damn, the movie almost did $200 million in the states alone. Its been awhile since we had a big dominant comedy of that stature. Its all but guaranteed we will get to see the full trilogy of novels adapted to the big screen. And hopefully will kick off some more heavily Asian casted and cultured movies in the United States that aren’t just imports. You’ll be able to pick this one up when Warner Bros releases the film on November 20th. Pre-order a copy to have ready for watching and rewatching over the the Thanksgiving holiday weekend! 
The masters of horror Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre), Robert Englund (A Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise) and Stephen King (Creepshow, Misery) join to bring you a shocking tale of terror. Available December 11th, 2018 from Scream Factory, The Mangler features a new 4K print of the original camera negative from the uncut version. The release also contains several new bonus features, including a new audio commentary with co-writer Stephen David Brooks, a new interview with actor Robert Englund, rare behind-the-scenes footage, and more! Fans can pre-order their copies now by visiting ShoutFactory.com 
Coming along for the Blu-ray ride with the 20th anniversary of Urban Legend is its sequel Urban Legends: Final Cut. Unlike its predecessor, Final Cut has never been on Blu-ray before, so its making its debut here. But, like the first one, this little slasher had a cast of nobodies that later did become somebodies. In the right light, this is a pretty fun swift little slasher that people may fine themselves enjoying more with an 18-year distance and less uptight about the stakes of watching it. Anyway, while its not getting a 2 and a half hour documentary on making it, they are putting for a nice little retro mini-doc for the film and a new interview with actress Jessica Cauffiel (Perhaps while she was doing a Valentine interview). It arrives the same day as the original, November 20th. 
Scream Factory has been crushing it with the late 90s pop horror as of late, especially due to the new sublicensing they have been doing through Warner Bros and Sony. And with that, comes the slashers that were refreshed and reborn during that time. One of the most notable of such that wasn’t Scream, was Jamie Blanks’ Urban Legend. Sub out scary movies for the age old tales of fear from yesteryear and its pretty easy to run with. This will be the first of two Collector’s Editions of Blanks’ slashers (Valentine is finally coming in February), getting a whopping 2-disc treatment. And, they’ve brought almost every back for this with the exception of an obvious pair of actors you could easily guess don’t show up. I’ll give you a hint before we dive in, but this is a pretty special release that you should lock in your pre-order for in time to watch November 20th! 
Worlds will collide when “Smallfoot” arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital. The film stars Channing Tatum (“21 Jump Street,” “Magic Mike,” “The Hateful Eight”) as the yeti, Migo, and James Corden (“Trolls,” TV’s “The Late Late Show with James Corden”) as the smallfoot, Percy. “Smallfoot” was directed by Karey Kirkpatrick, Annie Award-winning director of “Over the Hedge” and Annie nominee for the “Chicken Run” and “James and the Giant Peach” screenplays. The film also stars Zendaya (“The Greatest Showman,” TV’s “K.C. Undercover”), Oscar winner Common (“Wanted,” “Selma”), LeBron James (“Trainwreck,” TV’s “The LeBrons”), Danny DeVito (“Matilda,” TV’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia”), Gina Rodriguez (“Deepwater Horizon,” TV’s “Jane the Virgin”), Yara Shahidi (TV’s “Black-ish,” TV’s “Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia”), Ely Henry (“Some Freaks”) and Jimmy Tatro (“22 Jump Street”). 
Experience a terrifying celebration of the horror genre when Hell Fest arrives on Digital December 28 and on 4K Ultra HD™ Combo Pack (plus Blu-ray and Digital), Blu-ray™ Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD, and On Demand January 8 from Lionsgate. From Gale Anne Hurd, an executive producer of TV’s “The Walking Dead,” executive producer Tucker Tooley (Limitless, Den of Thieves), and directed by Gregory Plotkin (editor of Get Out, Happy Death Day, and director of Paranormal Activity: The Ghost Dimension), Hell Fest is one truly terrifying ride. The scary slasher film stars Amy Forsyth (TV’s “The Path,” “Rise,” “Defiance”), Reign Edwards (TV’s “Snowfall,” “MacGyver,” “The Bold and the Beautiful”), Bex Taylor-Klaus (TV’s “Scream: The TV Series,” “Arrow,” The Last Witch Hunter), and the legendary Tony Todd (Candyman, Night of the Living Dead, The Crow). Story by William Penick & Christopher Sey and Stephen Susco, Screenplay by Seth M. Sherwood and Blair Butler and Akela Cooper. 
Visionary filmmaker John Carpenter presents a romantic science fiction odyssey starring Jeff Bridges as an innocent alien from a distant planet who learns what it means to be a man in love. On December 18, 2018, SCREAM FACTORY™ is proud to present 80’s cult film classic STARMAN Collector’s Edition Blu-ray. Directed by John Carpenter (Escape from New York, The Fog), produced by Larry J. Franco (The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Independence Day: Resurgence), and written by Bruce A. Evans (Stand by Me, Mr. Brooks) and Raynold Gideon (Stand by Me, Made in Heaven), STARMAN stars Jeff Bridges (Kingsman: The Golden Circle), Karen Allen (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of Crystal Skull), Charles Martin Smith (American Graffiti), and Richard Jaeckel (Baywatch). A must-have for movie collectors and loyal fans, this definitive collector’s edition contains special bonus content including new featurette They Came from Hollywood: Re-visiting STARMAN, audio commentary, vintage featurette, and much more! Pre-order is available now at ShoutFactory.com 
