By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, May 7, unless otherwise noted: The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2019 Warner Home Video Rated: PG, mild action, crude humor The lowdown: In this enjoyable, family-friendly sequel, LEGO DUPLO invaders from outer space attack Bricksburg, wrecking everything faster than its residents can rebuild. The battle to restore order will take Emmet, Lucy, aka Wyldsyde, Batman, Unikitty and others to a strange galaxy where everything is a musical. The movie’s underlying themes focus on sibling rivalry and adolescence, though they do not get in the way of all the fun, cultural references and jokes. Critics enjoyed the ride, giving the movie an 87 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 (16x9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, English Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 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, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby digital and English 5.1 descriptive audio; English SDH, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include an “Assembling ‘The Lego Movie 2’ ” featurette, a short film with Emmet outtakes and deleted scenes, a music video and a commentary track.
Better Call Saul: Season Four Details: 2018, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: The fourth season of this popular AMC series finds Jimmy McGill’s transformation into Saul Goodman complete. The change, inspired by the death of Jimmy’s brother, edges the series closer to the origins and characters who comprised “Breaking Bad.” Jimmy also steps into the criminal world, which puts his future as a lawyer — as well as his relationship with Kim Wexler — in major jeopardy. This three-disc set features all 15 episodes of the series, which costars Jonathan Banks, Giancarlo Esposito, Rhea Seaborn, Patrick Fabian and Michael Mando. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English and French 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include cast and crew commentaries on every episode, a “Slippin’ Kimmy” featurette, a gag reel, 10 Madrigal Security training videos and a “No Picnic” short film.
Blaze (Blu-ray) Details: 2018, Shout! Factory-Sundance Selects Rated: R, language, drug use, sexual content The lowdown: Ethan Hawke produced, co-wrote and directed this movie that was inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the songwriter who inspired the outlaw music movement that influenced such artists as Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The movie covers three periods of time, re-imagining versions of Blaze’s past, present and future. The film examines his love affair with Sybil Rosen (Alia Shawkat), who co-authored the script with Hawke, his final night on Earth and the impact his music had on his friends, fans and even those with whom he fought. “Blaze” is more interested in examining how an artist grows and his impact on others rather than Foley’s creativity. Ben Dickey gives an impressive performance as Foley, and is aided by Charlie Sexton, Oscar-winning director Richard Linklater and Oscar-winning actor Sam Rockwell. Critics were very impressed with the movie, giving it a 95 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.39:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental components include a commentary track with Hawke and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
The Grand Duel (Blu-ray) Details: 1972, Arrow Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Lee Van Cleef stars in this archetype spaghetti Western as a veteran former sheriff named Clayton who comes to the aid of a young fugitive framed for killing a powerful figure called The Patriarch. Together, they battle bounty hunters in a series of gunfights while tracking down the three bad guys known as the Saxon brothers, and finally revealing the true killer. The movie features fine stunt work, suspenseful showdowns and an interesting revenge story. The film, also known as “The Big Showdown,” was directed by Giancarlo Santi, an assistant director to Sergio Leone on “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “Once Upon a Time in the West.” Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Italian and English LPCM audio tracks; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include an appreciation of the movie, interviews with filmmakers and actors, a commentary track, a comparison between the original cut of the movie and the longer German version, a short film featuring actor Marc Mazza and a video essay about Mazza.
My Scientology Movie Details: 2017, Magnolia Home Entertainment Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Documentarian Louis Theroux (“TV Nation”) is denied admittance to the Church of Scientology’s headquarters. This sets off a confrontational and humorous plan to reveal the inner workings of this mysterious organization. Theroux is inspired by the Scientology’s use of filmmaking techniques, and with the aid of ex-Scientologists, he uses some odd methods to expose and antagonize the church. It also becomes clear, as director John Dower and producer Simon Chinn illustrate, that the church is making a movie about Theroux. This is a bizarre, funny, strange and disturbing documentary that also sheds some light on Scientology’s methods of dealing with critics. Technical aspects: 1.78:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital; English closed-captioned.
Summer Stock (Blu-ray) Release date: April 23 Details: 1950, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This is a minor MGM musical that gained a place in film history as the last one Judy Garland made for the studio. Throughout most of the movie, which costars Gene Kelly, Garland looks a bit haggard and frumpy. What makes the movie memorable is the tacked-on “Get Happy” number, which Garland filmed a couple of months after principal shooting ended. In that sequence, she looks and acts like her classic self. Overall, though, “Summer Stock” is an asterisk in the storied catalog of MGM song-and-dance features. “Summer Stock” is a made-on-demand Blu-ray from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online sellers. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a making of featurette, an MGM cartoon, a “Pete Smith Specialty” short and an audio-only outtake song.
Three Men on a Horse (DVD-R) Release date: April 23 Details: 1936, Warner Archive Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Frank McHugh was mostly a supporting player in the Warner Bros. stock company, adding color characterizations to films starring James Cagney, Edward G. Robinson and Errol Flynn. One of his few starring roles was in this adaptation of a Broadway play written by George Abbott and John Cecil Holm. McHugh plays meek Erwin Trowbridge, a greeting-card poet who daydreams by picking horses and keeping track of his imaginary winnings. Trowbridge gets involved with a trio of gamblers after a bad day at work and some run-ins with his wife and brother-in-law. Trowbridge helps the trio win at the race track as well as find the backbone to confront his tormentors, including his demanding boss. The movie features a who’s who of Warner Bros. players, including Joan Blondell, Sam Levene, Allen Jenkins, Guy Kibbee and Paul Harvey. The cast also includes Carol Hughes as Trowbridge’s wife. Hughes, who performed in both “A” and “B” pictures is best known for her co-starring roles at Republic with Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, as well as playing Dale Arden opposite Buster Crabbe in “Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe,” the last serial in that trilogy. “Three Men on a Horse” is a made-on-demand DVD-R from the Warner Archive Collection and can be found at www.wb.com/warnerarchive or other online sellers. Technical aspects: 1.37:1 (4x3) full-screen picture; English Dolby digital monaural.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: All About Lily Chou-Chou (Film Movement Classics) Never Ever (Film Movement) Reinventing Rosalee (Random Media) Strawberry Flavored Plastic (Breaking Glass Pictures) Bachman (Blu-ray & DVD) (FilmRise, May 10) Banjos, Bluegrass and Squirrel Barkers (Backyard Green Films, May 10) Joe Louis Walker — Viva Las Vegas Live (DVD + CD) (Cleopatra Entertainment, May 10) Just Say Goodbye (DVD & digital download) (Leomark Studios, May 10)
FOR KIDS Sesame Street: Awesome Alphabet Collection (Shout! Factory Kids)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD 79 Parts (Factory Film Studios) Impossible Mission (High Octane Pictures) Peel (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Room for Rent (Uncork’d Entertainment) Scary Stories (Wild Eye Releasing) Tough Guy: The Bob Probert Story (Dark Star Pictures) Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men (Showtime, May 10) Arthur Miller: Writer (HBO Home Entertainment, May 13) Line of Duty: Season 5 (Acorn TV, May 13) Rumpole of the Bailey: Series 6 & 7 (Acorn TV, May 13) Veep: Season 7 & The Complete Series (HBO Home Entertainment, May 13)
Coming next week: Fighting with My Family
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.