New to View: Nov. 26
By Bob Bloom The following titles are being released on Tuesday, Nov. 26, unless otherwise noted:
Where’d You Go, Bernadette (Blu-ray + digital) Details: 2019, Fox Home Entertainment Rated: PG-13, language, drug material The lowdown: Cate Blanchett stars in this adaptation of the best-selling novel by Maria Semple about a loving wife and mother who becomes determined to reconnect with her creative passions after years of taking care of her family. On her quest, she finds challenges and adventures that change her life. The transformation from book to screen omitted many aspects of the novel, simplifying the film, placing all the weight on the shoulders of Blanchett. Her performance is solid, but the script fails to convey the complexities of the novel. The movie costars Billy Crudup, Kristen Wiig, Judy Geer and Laurence Fishburne. Critics were split over the movie, giving it a 48 percent fresh rating at Rottentomatoes.com. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus features include “Bringing Bernadette to Life” and “Who Is Bernadette” featurettes.
All About Eve: Special Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1950, The Criterion Collection Rated: Not rated The lowdown: Joseph L. Mankiewicz wrote and directed this classic backstage drama about an aging star, Margo Channing (Bette Davis), and the young, stage-struck adoring fan who wheedles her way into Margo’s life. Anne Baxter costars as Eve Harrington whose innocence and naiveté masks a ruthless and ambitious individual who will use everyone in Margo’s circle to get what she wants. Character actor George Sanders won a supporting actor Academy Award for his performance as the acerbic theater critic who sees through Eve’s façade. The cast also includes Celeste Holm, Gary Merrill, Thelma Ritter, Hugh Marlowe, Gregory Ratoff, Barbara Bates and Marilyn Monroe. The film is a timeless, acid-laced feature with great performances. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.37:1 full-screen picture; English LPCM monaural; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus materials include two commentary tracks; a documentary about Mankiewicz; 1969 and 1980 episodes of “The Dick Cavett Show” featuring Davis and Merrill; an interview with costume historian Larry McQueen; a 2001 “Hollywood Backstories” episode about the making of the movie; a 2001 documentary about Mankiewicz and his career; a copy of “The Wisdom of Eve,” the short story on which the movie was based; a look at the real-life Sarah Siddons Society, which is based on the movie’s fictional organization; and 1951 radio adaptation of the movie; and a booklet about the film.
The Fare (Blu-ray) Release date: Nov. 19 Details: 2018, Epic Pictures Releasing Rated: Not rated The lowdown: A supernatural fantasy about a drained cab driver who picks up a charming fare only to have her disappear from his back seat without a trace. When Harris, the cabbie, resets his meter, he is instantly brought back to the moment when the passenger, Penny, climbed into his cab. The pair soon find themselves in an endless “Groundhog Day”-like looping ride that begins altering their lives. The movie is a romantic piece mystery-drama that offers satisfying performances and an touching finale. The film has a satisfying “Twilight Zone”-esque feel to it. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English audio; English SDH and Spanish subtitles. Don’t miss: Extras include an original opening, extended sequences, a making of featurette and a commentary track.
Dracula: Collector’s Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1979, Scream Factory Rated: R, violence, sexual situations The lowdown: Frank Langella, who starred in a late 1970s revival of the play by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, reprises his role as the Transylvanian vampire, in this screen adaptation of the venerable work. This is a stylish reworking of the play and Bram Stoker’s novel, with Langella bring a suave persona to his performance. Laurence Olivier costars as Professor Van Helsing, with Kate Nelligan as Dracula’s intended bride and Donald Pleasence, Trevor Eve and Jan Francis. The movie boasts some fine and moody British locales. The screenplay was by W.D. Richter and the director was John Badham. The film was a middling success that received mixed reviews. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio stereo; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus options include a 1991 director’s edition of the film with Badham’s preferred desaturation color timing; a new introduction to the movie by Badham; interviews with Badham, Richter, camera assistant Jim Alloway, editor John Bloom, make-up artist Peter Robb-King, hair stylist Colin Jamison, assistant director Anthony Waye and production designer Hugh Harlow; two commentary tracks; and a “Revamping of Dracula” featurette.
Robocop: Limited Edition (Blu-ray) Details: 1987, Arrow Video Rated: R, graphic and bloody violence, language The lowdown: This futuristic, science-fiction thriller from director Paul Verhoeven centers on Alex Murphy (Peter Weller), a Detroit cop gunned down by a ruthless gang, and is resurrected as a cyborg. The film is a very visceral and brutal experience as Murphy’s new Robocop persona goes about his daily mission of killing criminals to keep Detroit safe. A plot twist has him beginning to remember parts of his human past, creating an internal conflict that he must reconcile. Nancy Allen, Ronny Cox, Dan O’Herlihy, Kurtwood Smith and Miguel Ferrer are among the featured performers. This set offers director’s cut and theatrical versions of the movie as well as an edited-for-television version. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 1.85:1 widescreen picture; English 5.1, 4.0 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio; English SDH subtitles. Don’t miss: Bonus offerings include commentary tracks, behind-the-scenes and making of featurettes that look at various details about the film’s production, cast and filmmaker interviews, a look at the movie’s “old school” special effects, a question-and-answer session with cast members and filmmakers, archival featurettes, deleted scenes, isolated musical tracks and a split-screen comparison between the director’s cut and theatrical versions.
Prophecy (Blu-ray) Details: 1979, Scream Factory Rated: PG, violence The lowdown: Robert Foxworth and Talia Shire star in this environmental horror-thriller as a doctor and his wife who travel to Maine to investigate the lumber industry’s impact on the region. They discover a series of mysterious events, including ecological freaks of nature and a series of grisly human deaths. A deadly creature inadvertently created by man’s lack of regard for nature is lurking in the woods. The movie’s message is undercut by its cliched use of horror to present is message about industrial pollution. The film costars Armand Assante, Richard Dysart and Victoria Racimo. The picture was ahead of its time in spotlighting how man’s indifference toward our planet can come back to literally bite him. Technical aspects: 1080p high definition, 2.35:1 widescreen picture; English DTS-HD Master Audio; English subtitles. Don’t miss: Supplemental materials include interviews with Foxworth, Shire, screenwriter David Seltzer and the movie’s special effects team.
Other titles being released on Tuesday, unless otherwise indicated: The Driver (DVD & digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment) The Dwelling (DVD & digital) (Uncork’d Entertainment) Gags the Clown (Blu-ray & DVD) (Doppleganger Releasing-Bloody Disgusting) Greta (DVD & VOD) (Breaking Glass Pictures) Use Me (Blu-ray & digital & VOD) (Gravitas Ventures) Young Justice: Outsiders: The Complete Third Season (Blu-ray & DVD) (Warner Home Entertainment) American Dreamer (Blu-ray & digital & VOD) (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)
DIGITAL DOWNLOAD, STREAMING or VOD Downton Abbey (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Hustlers (Universal Studios Home Entertainment) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Overcomer (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) Ready or Not (Fox Home Entertainment) An Accidental Soldier (Acorn TV, Nov. 28) Anner House (Acorn TV, Nov. 28) Cheat: Episode 2 (Sundance Now, Nov. 28) John Crist: I Ain’t Prayin’ for That (Netflix, Nov. 28) Midsomer Murders: Season 21 (Acorn TV, Dec. 1) Ain’t Misbehavin’ (Acorn TV, Dec. 2) The Deep Blue Sea (Sundance Now, Dec. 2) Mount Pleasant: Series 4 (Acorn TV, Dec. 2)
Coming next week: Big Trouble in Little China: Collector’s Edition
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.