New Blu-ray Reviews

Bell, Book and Candle Blu-ray Movie  

Sony Pictures | 1958 | 103 min | Not rated | Jan 28, 2020 | Martin Liebman

After teaming memorably in Alfred Hitchcock's haunting Vertigo, James Stewart and Kim Novak are together again in the whimsical Bell Book and Candle (1958), a spellbinding romantic comedy directed by Richard Quine and based on John Van Druten’s Broadway hit. Stewart plays a New York publisher entranced by a mysteriously bewitching young woman (Novak); mesmerizing supporting performances by the likes of Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold, Elsa Lanchester, and Janice Rule lend quirky comic charm to the proceedings. Cinematographer James Wong Howe gives us a glamorous vision of Manhattan, enhanced by George Duning’s sophisticated score (available here as an isolated track).

Comedy / Fantasy / Romance

The Oscar Blu-ray Movie  

Kino Lorber | 1966 | 121 min | Not rated | Feb 04, 2020 | Jeffrey Kauffman

An amoral lowlife accidentally stumbles into an acting career that sets him on a trajectory to Hollywood stardom. But everyone on whom he steps on the way to the top remembers when he is nominated for an Oscar and he runs a dirty campaign in an attempt to win.

Drama / Melodrama

The Mindy Project: The Complete Series Blu-ray Movie  

Mill Creek Entertainment | 2012-2017 | 6 Seasons | 2614 min | Rated TV-14 | Jan 21, 2020 | Martin Liebman

Dr. Mindy Lahiri is a talented obstetrician navigating the tricky waters of her chaotic personal life as she pursues her dreams of becoming the perfect woman, finding happiness and getting her perfect romantic comedy ending. Mindy shares a practice with three doctors, none of whom makes life any easier for her. There's Dr. Danny Castellano whose on-again-off-again romance with Mindy keeps the office staff on their toes, Dr. Jeremy Reed, the office's managing partner and resident punching bag, and Dr. Peter Prentice, a high-fiving former frat boy, who knows nothing about the opposite sex, but insists on doling out relationship advice to Mindy. Rounding out the ensemble is ex-con-turned-nurse Morgan Tookers, the gossipy Tamra and the grumpy Beverly.

Comedy

Lilith Blu-ray Movie    

Indicator Series | Limited Edition

Powerhouse Films | 1964 | 114 min | Rated BBFC: 12 | Apr 22, 2019 | Jeffrey Kauffman

A veteran returns to his bleak Maryland hometown and takes a job as an occupational therapist at Poplar Lodge, a private mental institution for the wealthy, where he cares for and falls in love with the beautiful and enigmatic Lilith.

Drama

Kitten with a Whip Blu-ray Movie  

Universal Studios | 1964 | 83 min | Not rated | Jan 21, 2020 | Martin Liebman

Jody, a juvenile delinquent, escapes from reform school by stabbing a matron and attempting to burn down the building and then takes refuge in a house owned by an ambitious politician David Patton. Despite the hellcat's ample charms, the would-be officeholder wants nothing to do with her and tries to drive her away. She responds by shortly returning to his house accompanied by a gang of delinquent pals and taking him hostage. A sudden act of violence causes more trouble, leading Jody and her gang to hijack David and force him to drive a getaway car to Mexico.

Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller

American Outlaws Blu-ray Movie  

Sony Pictures | 2001 | 94 min | Rated PG-13 | Jan 28, 2020 | Martin Liebman

When a corrupt baron forces homesteaders off their land to build a rail line, Jesse James and Cole Younger take the law into their own hands and embark on a spree of bank robberies and vandalism aimed at paralyzing the railroad. But they'll have to elude the pursuit of legendary detective Allan Pinkerton, who's been hired by the railroad to bring the boys to justice.

Action / Western

Wild America Blu-ray Movie  

Sony Pictures | 1997 | 106 min | Rated PG | Jan 28, 2020 | Martin Liebman

Three brothers - Marshall, Marty and Mark dream of becoming naturalists and portraying animal life of America. One summer their dream comes true, they travel through America, filming alligators, bears and moose.

Adventure / Comedy / Family

Born of Fire Blu-ray Movie    

Indicator Series | Limited Edition

Powerhouse Films | 1987 | 84 min | Rated BBFC: 15 | Sep 24, 2018 | Jeffrey Kauffman

Following the mysterious death of his beloved father, classical musician Paul Bergson (Peter Firth, Equus, Tess, TV’s Spooks) is haunted by visions and nightmares. With his lover (Suzan Crowley, The Devil Inside), he travels to remote Turkey on a quest to find The Master Musician, only to encounter a creature of unimaginable evil. Steeped in mysticism and music, and mixing the avant-garde with supernatural fantasy, stunning visuals and a terrific score by Colin Towns, Born of Fire is a bold and poetic horror film from one of international cinema’s great maverick talents.

Drama / Fantasy / Horror

Another Day of Life Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + DVD

Shout Factory | 2018 | 85 min | Not rated | Feb 18, 2020 | Brian Orndorf

A gripping story of a three-month-long journey that renowned Polish reporter Ryszard Kapuscinski took across Angola ravaged by a war in which the front lines shifted like a kaleidoscope from one day to the next.

Animation / Biography

All About My Mother Blu-ray Movie  

Todo sobre mi madre

Criterion | 1999 | 102 min | Rated R | Jan 28, 2020 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

In an instant, nurse Manuela loses the teenage son she raised on her own. Grief-stricken, she sets out to search for the boy's long-lost father in Barcelona, where she reawakens into a new maternal role, at the head of a surrogate family that includes a pregnant, HIV-positive nun; an illustrious star of the stage; and a transgender sex worker.

Comedy / Drama / Foreign

Body Parts Blu-ray Movie  

Shout Factory | 1991 | 88 min | Rated R | Jan 28, 2020 | Brian Orndorf

After losing his arm in a car accident, a criminal psychologist has it replaced with a limb that belonged to a serial killer.

Horror / Thriller

Doctor Sleep 4K Blu-ray Movie  

Includes Director's Cut on Standard Blu-ray / 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital Copy

Warner Bros. | 2019 | 152 min | Rated R | Feb 04, 2020 | Randy Miller III

Years later following the events of "The Shining", now-adult Danny meets a young girl with similar powers as his and tries to protect her from a cult.

Horror / Mystery / Psychological thriller / Supernatural

The Remains of the Day Blu-ray Movie  

Sony Pictures | 1993 | 134 min | Rated PG | Dec 17, 2019 | Dr. Stephen Larson

In post-World War I England, head butler Stevens has devoted his life entirely to service. With careful and unfailing devotion, he adheres to a system of old-fashioned propriety. His worldview is challenged and complicated by a vivacious housekeeper who falls in love with him and for whom he cares deeply, though he is unable to directly express it. Stevens must also quietly contend with the fact his master, Lord Darlington, is an influential, yet naïve gentleman under the spell of Nazi sympathizers.

Drama / Romance / Period

Serendipity Blu-ray Movie  

Cohen Media Group | 2019 | 74 min | Not rated | Feb 04, 2020 | Jeffrey Kauffman

Serendipity began as a book, published on the occasion of Prune Nourry's solo show at the Guimet National Asian Art Museum in Paris in 2017. The French-born, New York-based artist has spent the majority of her artistic career creating work that deals with women's bodies and female fertility. A recent breast cancer diagnosis led Nourry to create Serendipity-now in the form of a stunning first-person documentary-which captures the subsequent evolution of her body, her work, her soul, and her mind. This impassioned, beautiful film embodies the artist's belief that everything is connected, coincidence is an illusion, and "the essentials to life really are health, love, and art."

Documentary

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: In Concert Collection Blu-ray Movie  

Time Life | 2009-2017 | 1485 min | Not rated | Feb 11, 2020 | Jeffrey Kauffman

The 25th Anniversary Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Concerts were a two-day concert series celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame . It took place on October 29th and 30th, 2009 at Madison Square Garden.

Music

Semi-Tough Blu-ray Movie  

Kino Lorber | 1977 | 108 min | Rated R | Jan 21, 2020 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

A three-way friendship between two free-spirited professional football players and the owner's daughter becomes compromised when two of them become romantically involved.

Comedy / Drama / Romance / Sport

Zombie Island Massacre Blu-ray Movie  

Blu-ray + DVD

Vinegar Syndrome | 1984 | 88 min | Rated R | Feb 25, 2020 | Brian Orndorf

Americans on vacation in the Caribbean take a tour of a nearby island at night and watch a local voodoo ritual. Soon after, they find themselves stranded on the island and under attack by unseen foes. One by one they meet violent ends.

Horror

The Wave Blu-ray Movie  

Epic Pictures | 2019 | 87 min | Rated R | Feb 11, 2020 | Brian Orndorf

A man on the verge of a promotion takes a mysterious hallucinogenic drug that begins to tear down his reality and expose his life for what it really is.

Sci-Fi / Thriller

Pain and Glory Blu-ray Movie  

Dolor y gloria

Sony Pictures | 2019 | 113 min | Rated R | Jan 21, 2020 | Jeffrey Kauffman

A film director reflects on the choices he's made in life as past and present come crashing down around him.

Drama / Foreign

Aces: Iron Eagle III Blu-ray Movie  

Kino Lorber | 1992 | 98 min | Rated R | Dec 10, 2019 | Dr. Svet Atanasov

Colonel Charles Chappy Sinclair teams with three retired maverick fighter jocks from England, Germany and Japan as they fly souped-up World War II airplanes to combat a ruthless German drug lord and his high tech weaponry in the lawless South American jungles.

Action / Drama