Universal:

I Feel Pretty (2018) (* ½) The latest comedy vehicle to star Amy Schumer is about as enjoyable as her last effort, Snatched.   In other words, not very good. Here she’s a woman with self-esteem issues who comes to believe she’s a supermodel after a bump on the head. Like most of her output, it’s dreadful. Extras include deleted scenes, gag reel and a featurette.

Blockers (2018) (No stars) A strong contender for my year-end worst list, Blockers is the tale of three parents attempting to ‘block’ their kids from losing their virginity on prom night. The raunch factor remains high while the laughs remain non-existent in this pure piece of dreck. Bonus features include deleted scenes, featurettes, commentary and deleted scenes (perish the thought).

Fox Home Entertainment:

Super Troopers 2 (2018) (**) The law enforcement team from the 2002 cult film Super Troopers, return to put the brakes on a border dispute between the US and Canada. Well, at least it’s better than Blockers although that isn’t saying much. Extras include extended/deleted scenes, featurettes and trailers.

Photo: Caan, Kirk Calloway & Marsha Mason in Cinderella Liberty

Paramount:

A Quiet Place (2018) (***) (available in both 4K and Blu-ray) John Krasinski directs himself and his wife Emily Blunt in this thriller about a family attempting to evade creatures who hunt their prey by sound. Mostly effective even if the ground rules of the film’s story inexplicably change in the mid section of the pic. Extras include multiple featurettes.

Warner Archive: (Available at www.wbshop.com)

Supergirl (1984) (** 1/2) stars Helen Slater as the title character in a film that was supposed to serve as a spinoff of sorts from the series of Superman films. Faye Dunaway, Peter O’Toole star along with Superman cast member Marc McClure. This set features both the international cut (HD) and the director’s cut (SD only).  Extras include trailer and commentary.

Village of the Damned (1960) (***) A town finds itself terrorized by telepathic children in this horror classic starring George Sanders.

Billy Budd (1962) (***) Peter Ustinov co-writes and directs this Oscar nominated adaptation of the Herman Melville classic, a tale of war on the high seas in the late eighteenth century. Extras include audio commentary.

The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972) (** ½) is director John Huston and writer John Milius’s version of certain events in the life of the title character. A terrific cast makes the film more palatable than it has any right to be. No extras.

Criterion:

Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989) (***) is the film that kicked off the indie film wave of the nineties, a tale of infidelities and intimate confessions centering around a discontented housewife, her philandering hubby and his best friend. Extras include filmmaker interviews/commentary, deleted scene, trailers, archival interviews and new featurettes on the film’s sound.

Scream Factory:

Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992) (**) is one of director John Carpenter’s weaker efforts, featuring Chevy Chase as a stock analyst who accidentally becomes an invisible man. The special effects are interesting and almost make it worth a look. Extras include outtakes, trailers and a featurettte.

In the Mouth of Madness (1996) (** ½) is yet another nineties John Carpenter concerning an author whose latest book is literally driving people to madness. The film features some good scares in the first half before eventually going off the rails. Extras include new director commentary, on camera interviews, trailers and featurettes.

Piranha II: The Spawning (**) is notable mainly for being the directorial debut of future mega successful filmmaker, James Cameron. In this one, mutated piranhas take to the skies, pouncing on their prey from the air. Extras include new talent interviews and the film’s trailer.

 Photo: The children in Village of the Damned

Twilight Time (Limited to 3,000 units and available at www.screenarchives.com and www.twilighttimemovies.com)

Cinderella Liberty (1973) (*** ½) is one of the best films of the early 1970s. It’s a tender tale of the tentative romance between a sailor on leave and the prostitute he chances to meet. James Caan and Marsha Mason star and were never better.  Mark Rydell (On Golden Pond) sensitively directs. John Williams also provides a terrific score featured as a bonus on an isolated audio track along with the film’s trailer.

The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) (** ½) stars Jane Russell as a woman making her way in the world of real estate while simultaneously romancing a writer played by Richard Egan. Nice Cinemascope photography. Extras include theatrical trailer and isolated music track.

Genghis Khan (1965) (** ½) stars Omar Shariff as the title character and Stephen Boyd as both his friend and foe in this biopic directed by Henry Levin. Extras include theatrical trailer and isolated music track.

The Children of Huang Shi (2008) (** ½) The 1938 invasion of China by Japan serves as the backdrop for this historical drama centering on a journalist attempting to take a stand by leading a group of orphans to freedom. Extras include a featurette, the films’ trailer and isolated music track.

Coming soon: Someone is Watching Me, The Day After, Cradle Will Rock, The Hot Rock, Country and The Unborn.  

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