Warner:
Unforgettable (2017) (* ½) This turgid tale of a psychopathic woman stalking her ex husband and his family is anything but unforgettable. Another nail in the coffin that is actress Katherine Heigl’s big screen movie career. Extras include audio commentary, a deleted scene and a featurette.
Kong: Skull Island (2017) (***) The King returns in fine form as a group explorers set out to find the great ape in 1973 and get more than they bargained for. Good fun. Extras include three featurettes, audio commentary and deleted scenes.
Paramount:
Ghost in the Shell (2017) (** ½) The live action version of the celebrated anime film stars Scarlett Johansson as a cyborg with a human brain unraveling a web of corruption at the corporation that saved her life. Extras include three featurettes.
Universal:
The Fate of the Furious (2017) (***) The latest entry in the Fast and the Furious franchise turns out to be one of the better chapters in the saga with improbable stunts and action galore but a very fun attitude. Extras include four featurettes, extended fight scenes and audio commentary.
Lionsgate:
Free Fire (2017) (* ½) An arms deal goes wrong and nearly eighty minutes of non-stop gunfire ensues in director Ben Wheatley’s 70s era shoot em up. An endurance test to be sure. Extras include a making of documentary and director commentary.
Broadgreen:
Song to Song (2017) (**) Director Terrence Malick’s latest is atypical of his most recent films (Tree of Life, To the Wonder). It’s a visually arresting but dramatically inert love story set against the backdrop of the Austin Texas music scene. Extras include a featurette.
Warner Archive: (available online for purchase at www.wbshop.com)
Where the Boys Are (1960) (***) Four teenaged girls head to Daytona Beach in this dated but still entertaining comedy. The film contains some surprisingly serious undertones include a subplot involving rape. Extras include audio commentary, two featurettes and the original trailer.
Shout Factory:
The Billy Jack Collection (1967-77) contains all of the big screen adventures of the title character, otherwise known as Mr. Peace through Violence. The films are very much a product of their time but provide some occasional fun. Ratings vary but average around (** ½) Extras include still galleries, audio commentaries and theatrical trailers.
Criterion:
Lost in America (1985) (***) A husband and wife (Albert Brooks, Julie Hagerty) decide to chuck it all by selling their possessions, buying a Winnebago and driving around the country. Comedic complications ensue in director/star Brook’s winning comedy. Extras include four interview featurettes, trailer and an essay booklet.
Stalker (1979) (***) is Andrei Tarkovsky’s tale of three men who venture into a forbidden zone where their innermost desires are rumored to be fulfilled. Intriguing sci-fi with plenty of surprises. Extras include three interview featurettes and an essay booklet.
Twilight Time (each is title is limited to 3,000 units and available for purchase at and www.screenarchives.com)
The Crimson Kimono (1959) (** 1/2) Director Samuel Fuller’s gritty tale of two LA officers getting to the bottom of a stripper’s death is an atypical but fun film noir affair starring Victoria Shaw. Extras include isolated music track, two featurettes and theatrical trailer.
Tom Sawyer/Huckleberry Finn (1973/1974) (***/** ½) Two musical adaptations of the beloved Mark Twain novels can be had for the price of one in this lovingly restored set. Extras include isolated music tracks, audio commentaries, featurettes and trailers.
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (1972) (*** 1/2) is writer/director/star Woody Allen’s attempt at a film of comedy sketches revolving around the subject of the movie’s title. There are more hits than misses in this occasionally uproarious film. Extras include isolated music track and the original trailer.
State Fair (1962) (**) is the 1962 remake of the celebrated Rodgers/Hammerstein musical. Unfortunately, the film’s star, Pat Boone, does the picture no favors nor does the inclusion of several more songs. Extras include isolated music track, audio commentary, State Fair TV pilot and original trailers.
Coming soon:
Sid and Nancy, Going in Style (2017), The Circle, The Breaking Point, How to be a Latin Lover, The Lovers and Meantime.
Images: Julie Hagerty & Albert Brooks in Lost in America;
Allen as a sperm in ‘Everything…About Sex’
