By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Feb. 19, unless otherwise noted: A Star Is Born (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2018, Warner Home Video Rated: R, language, sexual situations, nudity, substance abuse The lowdown: One star is born, and another is elevated, in the latest iteration of the venerable chestnut, “A Star Is Born.” The story basically remains the same from the 1937 version through this newest remake: An established performer discovers a fresh talent, he nourishes her, they fall in love and marry and then tragedy strikes. The names and faces may have changed, but the story still elicits tears. This “Star Is Born” belongs to Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) who plays Ally, a singer-songwriter who is caught up in the whirlwind life of singer Jackson Maine, played by Bradley Cooper, who also directed the movie, was one of three screenwriters and also contributed a few songs. When Gaga is on screen — and especially when singing — she grabs your spirit. Even if you are familiar with the plot details — and realize an aura of sadness looms like a weight over the feature — your heart is electrified by Gaga. Most of the credit for that belongs to Cooper as the director. He continually — and wisely — puts her in the spotlight, allowing the camera to caress Gaga. On many shots, Cooper tracks his camera in on Gaga’s face, emphasizing her eyes, which — in this case — are windows to her soul. She is hypnotic, presenting a nuanced character who is confident in her talent, but insecure about her self-worth; a young woman who is fighting a world that judges her by her appearance, not her gifts. Cooper is content playing second fiddle to Gaga, which does not diminish his performance. As someone who has seen the three previous versions of “A Star Is Born,” I can attest with the utmost confidence that the chemistry between Gaga and Cooper, plus the latter’s sure handling behind the camera, puts this reimagining of the timeless fable at the top of the list. Critics basically agreed with that consensus, giving the movie a 90 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com Abetting the release is a dynamic and clear audio presentation that enriches the musical numbers. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby Atmos TrueHD, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, 5.1 Dolby digital descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a making of featurette, four music videos and a trio of songs and performances not in the film. The one compelling missing extra is a commentary track, which would have been of major interest.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? Details: 2018, Fox Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, drug use, violence The lowdown: Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant were nominated for Academy Awards for their performances in this tale of down-on-her-luck celebrity author Lee Israel (McCarthy), who resorts to forging letters of famous people to earn money. McCarthy, nominated for a best actress Oscar, is not afraid to make herself plain and unpleasant — yet, within her performance is the wherewithal to garner your sympathy and understanding. Israel is an antisocial, bitter woman, resentful that the world refuses to recognize her literary talents and that writers whom she considers inferior to her are getting multimillion-dollar advances for their books. She distrusts people, and is someone who would slap away a helping hand. Grant, who received a nod in the supporting actor category, portrays Jack Hock, Israel’s friend and confidant. He is a flamboyant and immoral former agent who survives by selling cocaine. “Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is a coup for McCarthy and Grant. Director Marielle Heller takes us into crevices and dark corners of New York and the damaged souls of two hurting and deceitful individuals. Critics embraced the movie, giving in an impressive 98 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and 5.1 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include deleted scenes, a commentary track and a series of featurettes, including one on McCarthy transforming into Israel.
Widows (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Release date: Feb. 5 Details: 2018, Fox Home Entertainment Rated: R, violence, language, sexual content, nudity The lowdown: Viola Davis heads the cast of this thriller cowritten by director Steve McQueen and “Gone Girl” author Gillian Flynn about four women who must repay the debt of their dead criminal husbands or face the consequences. The women, Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, Elizabeth Debicki and Cynthia Erivo, unite to pull off a heist of their own to get the money. The film, set in Chicago, also features Liam Neeson, Colin Farrell, Robert Duvall, Daniel Kaluuya, Luke Haas and Brian Tyree Henry. The movie is packed with suspense and twists, as well as sharply-honed performances, especially by the women. Critics embraced the movie, giving it a 91 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English 5.1 descriptive audio and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and descriptive audio and French and Spanish 2.0 Dolby digital; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus components include featurettes on the story, assembling the crew and a look at Chicago locations.
The Sisters Brothers (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Release date: Feb. 5 Details: 2018, Fox Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, violence, disturbing images, sexual content The lowdown: Joaquin Phoenix and John C. Reilly star in this Western with comedic overtones, as Charles and Eli Sisters, a pair of hired killers ordered by their boss, the Commandant, to kill a gold prospector accused of stealing from him. The film focuses not only on the brothers as killers, but as family who squabble and share their dreams and aspirations — which sometime cause conflict between them. While Charles embraces his role, Eli looks forward to quitting, settling down and leading a normal life. The movie, set in the Northwest, ranging from Oregon to the gold fields of California, is a brutal depiction of an untamed land where survival may depend on how handy you are with a gun. The Sisters’ journey tests their bonds as well as make them question their humanity. The film, which also features Jake Gyllenhaal and Riz Ahmed, is filled with atmosphere and observations about the nature of man. Critics enjoyed the movie, which earned an 85 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 5.1 descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and 5.1 descriptive audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental offerings include a featurette on the making of the movie and a couple of short promotional featurettes.
The Front Runner Release date: Feb. 12 Details: 2018, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, including sexual references The lowdown: Hugh Jackman stars as former Sen. Gary Hart, whose run for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1988 was derailed by his alleged extramarital relationship with a young woman named Donna Rice. The story became fodder not only for mainstream newspapers, but for tabloid journalism as well. Eventually, Hart was forced from the race. The coverage of Hart — for better or worse — changed the way in which reporters looked at politicians, making their private lives — which were at the time off limits — fodder for public consumption. The movie’s major flaw is that it goes easy on Hart and is not as hard-hitting about the entire story as it should be. Critics believed that same, giving the movie a lukewarm 59 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and audio description track and French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a “Unmaking of a Candidate” featurette, deleted scenes and a commentary track.
Backbeat (Blu-ray) Details: 1994, Shout! Factory Rated: R, sexual content, language The lowdown: The Beatles weren’t always the Beatles. Before they gained international superstardom, the band was a struggling group of young musicians playing gigs in Hamburg. At the time, the group included bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, the “fifth Beatle,” as he became known after the group became a household name. In Hamburg, Sutcliffe (played by Stephen Dorff) fell in love with a German art student and also began questioning his commitment to the band. The movie focuses more on Sutcliffe than the other band members, except for John Lennon (Ian Hart), who was Sutcliffe’s best friend at the time. The movie is interesting, of course, since it covers the very early days of The Beatles, but, since Sutcliffe is the centerpiece, it makes the movie more of a historical footnote than a compelling drama. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include deleted scenes, a conversation with the real Astrid Kirchherr, an interview with director Ian Softley and Hart, an interview with Softley for the Sundance Channel, casting sessions and a commentary track.
My Name Is Julia Ross (Blu-ray) Details: 1945, Arrow Academy Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This taut noir-thriller packs a lot into its 65-minute running time. Nina Foch stars as a unsuspecting young woman who answers an ad for a job and ends up as a virtual prisoner in the seaside home of a crazy family. The movie, directed by the incomparable Joseph H. Lewis, is a Gothic-tinged, Hitchcockian feature that goes a long way on a shoestring budget. It is filled with atmosphere, and a strong supporting cast that includes Dame May Whitty and George Macready. The movie so impressed executives at Columbia Pictures that they elevated it from a “B” picture to an “A”-movie offering. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track and a profile of Lewis.
The Return of the Vampire (Blu-ray) Details: 1943, Scream Factory Rated: Not rated The lowdown: It seems Bela Lugosi spent his entire movie career either wearing a cape or a lab coat. In this Columbia Pictures B-feature, it’s the cape, as Lugosi portrays vampire Armand Tesla, a Hungarian bloodsucker who prowls the English countryside in 1918 for victims. His reign of terror is ended by Lady Jane and Sir John Ainsley, who drive a railroad spike through his heart. But, wait. That is just the movie’s opening. About 25 years later, a stray bomb during a Nazi air raid, releases Tesla, who plans revenge on Lady Jane and Sir John. Tesla is aided by his werewolf servant, Andreas. The movie is not half bad, with some nice atmospheric moments, courtesy of director Lew Landers, but it is mostly an attempt to cash in on Lugosi’s Dracula persona. The supporting cast includes Nina Foch, Frieda Inescort, Roland Varno, Miles Mander and Matt Willis. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental offerings include a trio of commentary tracks.
So Dark the Night (Blu-ray) Details: 1946, Arrow Academy Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Director Joseph H. Lewis returns with this stylistic murder mystery set in a French village. A distinguished Paris detective, Inspector Cassin, goes on holiday to a quiet French village, where he becomes infatuated with the daughter of the local innkeeper. When she is murdered, Cassin takes up the case. Among the suspects are the girl’s betrothed, a local farmer. More murders occur before the case is solved. “So Dark the Night” is one of those movies with a twist ending that some cinephiles might discern before the big denouncement, but many others will find it surprising. The cast is comprised of mostly unknown or bit players, headed by perennial supporting player Steven Geray (“The Mask of Dimitrios” and “Phantom of the Opera”). Like Lewis’ “My Name Is Julia Ross,” “So Dark the Night” was a B-movie that earned many accolades upon its release. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English 2.0 LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a commentary track, an appreciation of Lewis and a booklet about the movie.
Iceman: The Time Traveler (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 2018, Well Go USA Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Donnie Yen stars a Ying, a palace guard during the Ming Dynasty, who is buried and frozen in time by an avalanche during a battle. Ying is brought back to life in present times and begins a quest for the only object that can correct the wrongs of history — The Golden Wheel of Time. As Ying undertakes his journey, he is unaware that he is heading near to a deadly trap. The movie, with a running time of 88 minutes, drags a bit, but contains enough action to please genre fans. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Mandarin and English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; DVD: 2.39:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; Mandarin and English Dolby digital; English subtitles.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Backtrace (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Frantz Fanon: Black Skin, White Mask (Blu-ray) (Film Movement Classics) Honeyglue (DVD + VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) The Last Race (Magnolia Home Entertainment) Narcissister Organ Player (Film Movement) The Possession of Hannah Grace (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Sgt. Will Gardner (Blu-ray & DVD) Cinedigm) Canine Soldiers (Juno Films, Feb. 22) To the Edge of the Sky (Juno Films, Feb. 22)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Green Book (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Rise of the Footsoldier: Parts I, II & III: The Final Chapter (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) London Kills, Series 1 (Acorn TV, Feb. 25) Murdoch Mysteries: Series 12, Episode 11 (Acorn TV, Feb. 25) Murphy’s Law: Series 4 & 5 (Acorn TV, Feb. 25) Seville Row (Acorn TV, Feb. 25)
Coming next week: Ralph Breaks the Internet
I am a founding 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.