NOW IN THEATERS:
Ice Cream Man (**) Director Eli Roth’s (Hostel, Thanksgiving) latest gore-fest revolves around the title character who arrives on the scene to serve up murder and mayhem along with his menu of frozen desserts. The first half of the film grows tedious pretty quickly as characters are dispatched in every gruesome way imaginable by possessed children, with more than a passing debt owed to last year’s Weapons. Notwithstanding, a character awakened to his toe being caught in a mouse trap that actually did make me chuckle. Thankfully, after 50 minutes of kill after kill and not much else plot wise, things head in a different direction when Roth attempts to inject some social commentary into the proceedings. Unfortunately, by this point the film has less than a half hour to go. A feeling pervades throughout the whole endeavor that Roth is running on creative fumes. There’s a twist ending that’s vaguely interesting if viewers make it that far but it’s a far cry from some of the filmmaker’s more interesting efforts.
Photo: Ari Millen in Ice Cream Man
NEW TO DISC:
Arrow:
Milos Forman’s excellent biopic on the life and times of the publisher of Hustler Magazine, The People vs. Larry Flynt (1996), starring Woody Harrelson in the title role, makes a welcome 4K debut this week in a superb new set. The transfer is exquisite and the bonus materials are bountiful. Highly recommended.
Universal:
Two of the studio’s super successful comedy sequels, American Pie 2 (2001) and Little Fockers (2010), both make their 4K debut this week. Not much in the way of new extras but most of the archival ones have been carried over.
Sony:
The Will Farrell and John C. Reilly starring comedy filmed in Charlotte, Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), makes its way to the 4K format with its previously issued bonus features intact.
Criterion:
Director Todd Haynes’ portrait of a housewife (Julianne Moore, in a career making performance) sickened by environmental toxins, Safe (1994), makes its way to 4K this week in a new edition that retains the extras found on the previous Blu Ray.
Warner Archive:
New releases from the label this week include, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935), Macao (1952), Random Harvest (1942), The Seventh Cross (1944), The Sisters (1938) and Presenting Lily Mars (1943). Bonus materials vary on each separate release, but the transfers are as impeccable as always.
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