By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Aug. 28, unless otherwise noted: RBG (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, Magnolia Home Entertainment Rated: PG, thematic elements, language The lowdown: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is the subject of this stirring documentary that looks at the life and legacy of the 85-year-old judicial icon. The feature follows her rise in the legal community to becoming a beloved contemporary pop culture figure. The movie features interviews with such figures as Gloria Steinem and Nina Totenberg. Critics embraced the movie, giving it a 94 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus options include deleted and extended scenes and additional interviews.
Deadpool 2: Super Duper $#%^&* Cut (Blu-ray and digital) Release date: Aug. 21 Details: 2018, Fox Home Entertainment Rated: R and Unrated, bloody and graphic violence, language, sexual references, drug use The lowdown: This two-disc set features the theatrical release as well as an uncut version of the movie with 15 more minutes of fun. The movie is like that high-school kid who is compared to and constantly overshadowed by the exploits of an older sibling who graduated with a 4.0 and was captain of the football and basketball teams. No matter how proficient in the classroom or talented in sports that teenager is, it is never enough to erase the exploits of the one who came first. Basically, this is the problem with “Deadpool 2.” It’s not a bad movie, but it tries so hard to emulate its predecessor that you feel the screen sweating. While it is filled with the same snarky, vulgar and violent irreverence as the original, this sequel feels more like a series of strung-together scenes than a cohesive feature. The movie continues to playfully break the fourth wall, with Deadpool talking to the audience and taking jabs at pop culture, the movie’s script, its special effects, its budget, Jared Kushner, Wolverine, the DC Universe, such movies as “Yentl,” “Frozen,” the “Sharknado” franchise, “Say Anything,” and even star Ryan Reynolds’ turn as “Green Lantern.” Reynolds’ oversized personality is what propels “Deadpool 2,” although he settles many times for simply repeating schtick from the first movie. Talk about lazy writing! “Deadpool 2” is loud, gruesome and hilarious in an uber-Three Stooges, low-brow, physical manner. Deadpool is constantly being shot, skewered and dismantled, but like the Energizer Bunny, he bounces back and keeps going and going. One of the film’s flaws is that the jesting seems to override everything, even a tragic turn of events that basically kicks off the film. “Deadpool 2,” at times, plays like it is aimed squarely at fans of the first movie and not a broader audience. Despite all its perceived shortcomings, “Deadpool 2” is a gleeful experience, especially for those with skewed or dark senses of humor. Critics enjoyed the movie, giving it an 83 percent positive rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 descriptive audio and Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: The Blu-ray features hours of bonus materials including a gag reel, deleted and extended scenes, alternate takes, a featurette on the most important X-Force member, a “Deadpool Family Values” featurette that looks at the cast of characters, a look at director David Leitch, a commentary track and a Deadpool’s Fun Sack 2 featurette.
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: 25th Anniversary Sing-Along Edition (Blu-ray + digital) Release date: Sept. 2 Details: 1993, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG, some scary images The lowdown: Tim Burton’s stop-motion animated music-filled fantasy gets a 25th anniversary release that gives you the option of singing along with Jack Skellington and the rest of the cast. Skellington’s Pumpkin King sets out to make Yuletide his own in this macabre musical fantasy that features composer Danny Elfman singing for Skellington while Chris Sarandon provides the vocal talent. Skellington’s new focus puts Santa is jeopardy, creating nightmares for good little boys and girls. This new edition features the original theatrical release and the new sing-along version. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 descriptive audio and Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a making of featurette, deleted scenes, a commentary track, two of Burton’s early shorts “Vincent” and “Frankenweenie,” Burton’s original poem narrated by Christopher Lee and Jack’s Haunted Mansion Holiday Tour.
NCIS: Los Angeles: Season 9 Details: 2017-18, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: NCIS agents “G” Callen (Chris O’Donnell), Sam Hanna (LL Cool J), Kensi Blye (Daniela Ruah) and LAPD liason Marty Deeks (Eric Christian Olsen) work to protect the City of Angels from criminals, security threats and terrorist activities. Backed by tech experts Eric Beele (Barrett Foa) and Nell Jones (Renee Felice Smith), the team weekly faces danger and puts their lives on the line. This six-disc set features all 23 episodes as the team covertly travels to Vietnam to save Operations Manager Hetty Lange (Linda Hunt), and faces internal turmoil from Assistant Director Shay Mosley (Nia Long) and her aide, special agent Harley Hidoko (Andrea Bordeaux). The foundation of the series is the chemistry between the team members, their bantering and their loyalty to the mission and each other. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a behind-the-scenes look at the celebration of the show’s 200th episode, a look inside the season, a featurette on Mosley and Hidoko, a featurette on Sam Hanna incognito and deleted and extended scenes.
Criminal Minds: Season 13 Details: 2017-18, CBS DVD-Paramount Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A six-disc set featuring all 22 episodes about the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit as it investigates the worst of the worst killers at large. These profilers use their extensive analytical skills to hunt depraved and cunning dark minds who enjoy causing harm, pain and death. The team, led by Joe Mantegna’s David Rossi, also features Dr. Spencer Reid (Mathew Gray Gubler), Jennifer Jareau (A.J. Cook), Penelope Garcia (Kirsten Vangsness), Dr. Tara Lewis (Alsha Tyler), Luke Alvez (Adam Rodriguez), new member Matthew Simmons (Daniel Henney) and Emily Prentiss (Paget Brewster). Combining their investigative skills, criminals have no chance of getting away scot free. Technical aspects: 16:9 full-screen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental offerings include a featurette on Rodriguez directing experience and the story arc of select episodes, a behind-the-scenes look at Jamie Kennedy’s re-creation of the serial killer he portrayed seven years earlier and featuring former “Criminal Minds” star Shemar Moore, a question-and-answer session with the cast about being real FBI agents, a look at the table read for the “Mixed Signals” episode, deleted and extended scenes, a gag reel and bonus episodes from the first seasons of “SEAL Team” and “Bull.”
The Blacklist: The Complete Fifth Season Release date: Aug. 14 Details: 2017-18, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This five-disc set features all 22 fifth-season episode of this popular NBC series about crime lord Raymond “Red” Reddington (James Spader) and FBI agent Elizabeth Keen (Megan Boone). The major focus of the season is Keen’s inner turmoil about her role as an FBI agent and her battle to control her criminal instincts, heightened by the realization that Reddington is her father. Reddington, meanwhile, is setting the wheels in motion to reclaim his empire and title as the “Concierge of Crime.” Reddington’s goal is to make the search for Blacklisters the family business. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English and French subtitles. Don’t miss: Deleted scenes, a gag reel, commentaries and a celebration of the series’ 100th episode comprise the major bonus components.
Brainscan (Blu-ray) Details: 1994, Scream Factory Rated: R, graphic violence, language, sexual content The lowdown: A horror-thriller that is an allegory for the dangers of spending too much time playing video games. Michael (Edward Furlong), a lonely teen, orders the latest interactive video game. The game’s new high-tech capabilities penetrate his subconscious, where he darkest impulses unleash a reign of murder, deception and sexual desire. This killer is being pursued by a homicide detective, played by Frank Langella, The teen’s alter ego, calling himself “The Trickster” (T. Ryder Smith), materializes in the youth’s room to continually prod him to commit more heinous acts. The poor kid is torn between the worlds of good and evil, reality and fantasy and, ultimately, life and death. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental options include a commentary track, an interviews with screenwriter Andrew Kevin Walker, T. Ryder Smith, special make-up effects supervisor Steve Johnson and special make-up effects artists Andy Schoneberg and Mike Smithson and composer George S. Clinton, a deleted scene and behind-the-scenes footage.
Higher Power (Blu-ray) Release date: Aug. 14 Details: 2018, Magnolia Home Entertainment Rated: R, violence, language The lowdown: Ron Eldard stars as an ordinary guy who finds himself under the control of a mad scientist, played by Colm Feore. Whatever the scientist has in store can alter the fate of the man’s family and the world. Given superpowers, the man does all he can to protect his family on a mysterious journey to save humanity. This is a heavy, special-effects laden feature that should intrigue science fiction fans. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos; English SDH and Spanish subtitles.
Hocus Pocus: 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray + digital) Release date: Sept. 2 Details: 1993, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment Rated: PG, scary sequences, language The lowdown: Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy star as the Sanderson sisters whose spirits are accidentally conjured up on Halloween night in 1993, Salem, Mass. The sisters were banished 300 years earlier for practicing sorcery. They vowed that one day they would reappear and reap chaos. Three kids may hold the key to the sisters’ immortality and the power to make or break their spell. At the time of its release, the movie did not impress reviewers, noting that while children may enjoy it, adults would find it formulaic and dreadful. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes, a cast and crew commentary, fun facts and trivia about the film, behind-the-scenes featurettes and an archival 1993 production featurette.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Callling All Earthlings (DVD + VOD) (Carpe Stella Productions-Freestyle Digital Media) Mohsen Makhmalbaf: The Poetic Trilogy (Blu-ray) (Arrow Academy)
FOR KIDS Mind Game (Blu-ray) (Shout! GKids)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD The Guardians (Music Box Films) The Padre (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) The Comedy Lineup: Part 2 (Netflix, Aug. 31) A Place to Call Home: The Final Chapter (Season 6) (Acorn TV, Aug. 31) A Place to Call Home: The Final Chapter, Episode 1 (Acorn TV, Sept. 3) Dead Envy (Random Media, Sept. 3) Echoes (Acorn TV, Sept. 3) The Last Dukes (Acorn TV, Sept. 3)
I am a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook. My movie reviews also can be found at Rottentomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.