By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 20, unless otherwise noted:
Crazy Rich Asians (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Details: 2018, Warner Home Video Rated: PG-13, suggestive and sexual situations, language The lowdown: This summer feature is a bouncy and bubbly rom-com that holds the distinction of being the first Hollywood studio film in more than two decades to present an all-Asian cast. The movie also features a cliched rich-boy—poor-girl storyline and stereotypical characters. But that simply points up a universal truism that, though we all are not alike on the outside, inside, we share the same heart and emotional makeup. The movie is about Nick Young (Henry Golding) and Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), who have been dating for a year. Rachel teaches economics at New York University and Nick, well, we never really learn what Nick does. Nick is flying back to Singapore for the wedding of his best friend and asks Rachel to accompany him to meet his family. She agrees and is floored, after arriving, to discover her boyfriend comes from the richest family in Singapore. Rachel suffers culture shock as she realizes the wealth and breadth of Nick’s family. She also is taken aback by the cold reception she receives from Nick’s mother, Eleanor. She assumed that, because her heritage is Chinese, the family would embrace her. But as an Asian-American, she is considered an outsider whose values are not aligned with Oriental tenets. Rachel is constantly reminded of the respect and adherence to tradition that serves as the foundation for Chinese families. Sure, the movie is conventional, but the lively cast and entertaining characters distract you from the movie’s familiarity. in a sense, the movie does lack originality. But that simply amplifies that we all are brothers and sisters under the skin. The vast majority of critics agreed, giving the movie a 92 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, 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 5.1 descriptive audio; English SDH, Spanish and French subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include a featurette on the making of the movie, a gag reel, deleted scenes and a commentary track.
Mile 22 (Blu-ray + DVD + digital) Release date: Nov. 13 Details: 2018, Universal Studios Home Entertainment Rated: R, graphic violence, language The lowdown: Mark Wahlberg heads the cast in this action-packed thriller about an elite CIA unit that must transport an asset (Iko Uwais) who has vital information to an airfield, where he can be transported out of the country. That, however, is easier said than done, as enemy forces attempt to stop Wahlberg and his team at every step of the way. The film costars Ronda Rousey, Lauren Cohan and John Malkovich. Critics found it a rather formulaic and predictable, giving it a 23 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 Dolby digital DVS; English SDH and Spanish subtitles; DVD: 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and 2.0 Dolby digital DVS; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include a look at the “Overwatch” para-military division; a profile of action star Iko Uwais, a behind-the-scenes talk with Uwais about his fight sequences, a featurette about the women in the cast and their action sequences and stunt work, an inside look at the creation of the movie’s stunts, a look at the concept of modern action cinema and how they are filmed and a featurette on filming in Bogota, Colombia.
To Dream Details: 2016, Random Media Rated: Not rated The lowdown: An intense drama about two teenagers, lifelong friends, who dream of escaping the grime, crime and brutality of their poor London neighborhood. Luke and Tommy have known each other since they can remember, and always have looked out for each other. They dream of going to the United States. But the realities of their situations, which include abusive home lives, keep detouring them. Events begin to unravel when Tommy begins to feel threatened by Luke’s new girlfriend. After Luke takes another brutal beating, Tommy takes desperate action to set them both free. Technical aspects: 2:35.1 (16:9 enhanced) widescreen picture; English Dolby digital; English closed-captioned.
Puzzle Release date: Nov. 13 Details: 2018, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Rated: R, language, sexual situations The lowdown: “Puzzle” is a feature in which you believe at first that you know where all the pieces fit. But, as the film progresses, you come to realize that the movie is not adhering to the shape that you imagined. Agnes (Kelly Macdonald) is a Connecticut housewife whose routine centers on her husband, her college-aged sons and her church. From the outset, you realize Agnes is a restless spirit. She is aware that her sheltered life is a self-made prison from which she yearns to escape, but that she does not know how. A birthday gift of a 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle ignites a spark within Agnes. She always has been fascinated by shapes and patterns, and quickly connects all the pieces. Her first tentative steps to reshaping her life begin with a trip into New York City — to a small store that specializes in puzzles. While buying two, she notices a sign for someone seeking a puzzle partner. Curious, she takes the number and builds up the courage to text it. Thus, Agnes begins a journey that will reshape not only her life, but that of her family. “Puzzle” is a sweet story about learning where you fit in the world once you decide to look at all the pieces. Technical aspects: 2.39:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; English 5.1 Dolby digital and audio description track; English SDH, English, French and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include a “Completing the Puzzle” featurette, an alternate ending and a commentary track.
Candyman: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1992, Scream Factory Rated: R & unrated, violence and gore The lowdown: Helen Lyle (Virginia Madsen), a graduate student, discovers a research topic in a myth about Candyman, a slave spirit with a hook hand. She visits the gang-ridden territory where his spirit is supposed to dwell in a notorious housing project. Arrogantly disbelieving the legend, she summons the demon expecting nothing to happen. But, Candyman (Tony Todd) does appear, igniting a string of murders for which the police blame Helen. Only Candyman himself can prove her innocent. This two-disc set contains the theatrical as well as unrated cuts of the movie, though both have a running time of 99 minutes. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: The set contains several extras, including two new commentary tracks, one with director Bernard Rose and Todd and the other with authors Stephen Jones and Kim Newman; an archival commentary track with Rose, author Clive Barker, producer Alan Poul, Todd, Madsen and actor Kasi Lemmons; a featurette on the Candyman mythos; a “Clive Barker Raising Hell” featurette; storyboards; interviews with Todd, Madsen and production designer Jane Ann Stewart; a look at the movie’s makeup, which includes interviews with the special makeup effects artists; a featurette on Barker’s “The Forbidden”; a featurette on Barker’s “Books of Blood and Candyman’s” source story; and an “Urban Legend: Unwrapping Candyman” featurette.
Orgies of Edo (Blu-ray) Details: 1969, Arrow Video Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This controversial Japanese feature is not for those invested in the #MeToo movement. Director Teruo Ishii tells three stories of moral sickness and the mistreatment of women set during Japan’s prosperous Genroku era. The movie is most politically incorrect, and those who view it will soon come to realize. The three stories involve a woman forced into prostitution, a woman who is turned on by unattractive men and the admirer who disfigures himself to gain her favor and the third movie deals with a sadistic and powerful man who has bulls with flaming horns charge into a courtyard of women wearing red who must strip to avoid being gored. The movie is unpleasant, but the director is aiming to make a point about moral decay. I believe he succeeded. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; Japanese LPCM monaural; English subtitles.
Urban Legend: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Urban Legends: Final Cut (Blu-ray) Details: 1998, 2000, Scream Factory Rated: R, violence, gore, language, sexual content The lowdown: Natalie (Alicia Witt), a college student, finds herself at the center of a series of sadistic and gruesome killings inspired by urban legends. She determines to find the truth about her school’s legend — a student massacre 25 years earlier at the hands of an abnormal psych professor. As with any cinematic college, the campus fraternities are planning to celebrate the deadly anniversary, while Natalie discovers that she is the crazed killer’s next target. In the sequel, students at Alpine University are vying to win the best student film award — at any cost — even if it means eliminating the competition. Everyone is a suspect, of course, in this thriller, which features Jennifer Morrison, Matthew Davis, Joseph Lawrence, Anthony Anderson, Hart Bochner and Loretta Devine. Technical aspects: “Urban Legend”: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles; “Urban Legends: Final Cut”: 1080p high definition, 2.40:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras in commentaries and interviews with cast members on both movies; behind-the-scenes footage and an archival making of featurette on “Urban Legend,” and a making of featurette, gag reel and deleted scenes on “Urban Legends: Final Cut.”
Fireworks (Blu-ray + DVD) Details: 2017, Shout! GKids Rated: Not rated The lowdown: This animated teenage drama from Japan features a science fiction twist as it tells of two friends, shy Norimichi and smooth-talking Yusuke, who are both smitten by the same classmate, Nazuna. Nazuna has an agenda of her own. Unhappy about her mother’s decision to remarry and leave their countryside town, she plans to run away and has secretly chosen Norimichi to go with her. When events don’t go as planned, Norimichi discovers that a glowing multi-colored ball found in the sea has the power to reset the clock, giving him and Nazuna a second chance of being together. The problem is that each reset adds new complications and takes the pair farther and farther away from the real world — bringing them dangerously close to losing sight of the real world forever. You will have to watch to see if the movie has a happily-ever-after finale or not. Technical aspects: Blu-ray: 1080p high definition, 1.77:1 widescreen picture; Japanese and English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH, English and French subtitles; DVD: 1.77:1 anamorphic widescreen picture; Japanese and English 5.1 Dolby digital; English SDH, English and French subtitles. Don’t miss: The major bonus component is a behind-the-scenes visit with the English cast.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: Adonis (DVD + VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) Anchor and Hope (DVD + digital + VOD) (Wolfe Releasing) Lucifernia (Blu-ray & DVD) (Artsploitation) The Third Murder (Blu-ray) (Film Movement, Nov. 13) Gauguin: Voyage to Tahiti (Blu-ray) (Cohen Media Group, Nov. 6)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD The Happytime Murders (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Number 37 (Dark Star Pictures) The Nun (Warner Home Video) Operation Finale (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) Peppermint (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) The Rebound (Virgil Films) Clyde Cooper (Souvenir Films, Nov. 22) Ugly Sweater Party (Ocular Migraine Productions, Nov. 23) Line of Duty: Series 4 (Acorn TV, Nov. 26) Run (Acorn TV, Nov. 26)
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.