Action junkies and fans of cop thrillers are in luck this week with the DVD and Blu-ray release of David Ayer’s End of Watch. This found footage approach was popular with audiences and critics and the DVD features include deleted scenes, documentaries and a director’s commentary.
First Release
- End of Watch (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Paperboy (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Searching for Sugar Man (DVD and Blu-ray)
- The Imposter (DVD)
- Pina (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Death Race 3: Inferno (DVD and Blu-ray)
- Tai Chi Zero (DVD and Blu-ray)
Re-Release
- Ivan’s Childhood (1962) (Blu-ray)
- The Quiet Man (1952) (Blu-ray)
End of Watch (DVD and Blu-ray) *Recommendation of the Week*
Written and directed by David Ayer
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Peña
The low-budget action thriller End of Watch was one of the surprise hits of 2012, not only commercially but also critically. This found footage movie is the latest movie for writer/director David Ayer to visit the mean streets of Los Angeles, his previous movies being Training Day, Harsh Times and Street Kings.
Brian Taylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Mike Zavala (Michael Peña) are two young uniformed police officers in the LAPD and they attach cameras to themselves when they are on duty. But the partners end up crossing a gang of powerful drug traffickers.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 85% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 8.5/10 (read our review)
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Deleted Scenes; End of Watch: Behind-the-Scenes Featurettes; Fate with a Badge; In the Streets; Women on Watch; Watch Your Six; Honors; Feature Commentary with Writer/Director David Ayer
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $21.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 3.5 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
There are three major themes with this week’s collection of DVD and Blu-rays: documentaries, art-house and action sequels. Three critically acclaimed documentaries are out now, as well as the release of Takashi Miike’s latest movie and the Criterion Collection’s re-release of the week is Ivan’s Childhood.
The Paperboy (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Lee Daniels
Written by Lee Daniels, Pete Dexter (screenplay), Peter Dexter (novel)
Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, John Cusack, Nicole Kidman, David Oyelowo
Based on Pete Dexter’s novel, The Paperboy is Lee Daniels’ follow-up to hit drama Precious. Premiering at the Cannes Film Festival, The Paperboy was nominated for the Palme d’Or, but was met with a mixed reception.
Set in the 1960s, Hillary Van Wetter (John Cusack) is a man on death row in Florida after being convicted for murdering a sheriff. His pen-pal, Charlotte Bless (Nicole Kidman), recruits two journalists, Ward Jansen (Matthew McConaughey) and Yardley Acheman (David Oyelowo, Jack Reacher) and Ward’s younger brother Jack (Zac Efron) to investigate Hillary’s case so they can prove his innocence.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 39% (poor)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Includes Free Digital Copy of the Film, Featurette, Director Interview, Cast and Crew Interview, Behind the Scenes, 5.1 Digital Surround, English SDH & Spanish Subtitles, Previews
Amazon Price: $9.99 (DVD), $12.99 (Blu-ray), $19.99 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3.5 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 3.5 stars, Extras 2.5 stars, Replay 3 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
Searching for Sugar Man (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Malik Bendjelloul
Starring: Malik Bendjelloul, Rodriguez
Searching for Sugar Man was one of the biggest documentaries of 2012, winning the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and currently nominated for an Academy Award and a BAFTA for Best Documentary.
From the producers of Man on Wire, Searching for Sugar Man follows two South African fans of the American folk singer Rodriguez, a man who never found fame in his own country but was a star in South Africa. Rodriguez reportedly committed suicide and the fans set out to find out the truth of what happened to the singer.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 95% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Commentary with director Malik Bendjelloul and musician Rodriguez An evening with Malik Bendjelloul and Rodriguez Making Sugar Man
Amazon Price: $20.99 (DVD), $22.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 3 stars, Replay 4 stars (out of 5). Highly Recommended.
The Imposter (DVD)
Directed by Bart Layton
Starring: Adam O’Brian, Frédéric Bourdin
The Imposter was another hit documentary from 2012, being nominated for the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at Sundance and was nominated for six British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs).
The Imposter tells the unusual story of Nicholas Barclays, a 13-year-old Texas boy who disappeared and was supposedly found three years later in Barcelona. The family accepts the boy back even though he does not look like Nicholas and he speaks with a completely different accent.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Closed Caption; Making The Imposter; Trailer; Unlock actual government case files with QR code inside
Amazon Price: $13.49 (DVD)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 2.5 stars, Replay 2 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
Pina (DVD and Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Wim Wenders
Starring: Pina Bausch
Pina Bausch was one of the most influential dancers in the modern dance movement and she was working with Dutch director Wim Wenders (Wings of Desire) on making a movie before her untimely death. Wenders was convinced to turn the project into a documentary. Shot in 3D, Pina focuses on Bausch’s life, career, movement and her dance company.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 95% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: High-definition digital transfer, supervised and approved by director Wim Wenders, presented in two editions: Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray combo, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack, and DVD; Audio commentary featuring Wenders; The Making of “Pina”; Deleted scenes with commentary by Wenders; Behind-the-scenes footage; Interview with Wenders; Trailer; English subtitle translation; PLUS: A booklet featuring a piece by novelist and essayist Siri Hustvedt; reprinted pieces by Wenders and choreographer Pina Bausch; information on the dances featured in the film; and portraits of the dancers
Amazon Price: $24.99 (DVD), $44.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Takashi Miike
Written by Kikumi Yamagishi (screenplay), Yashuhiko Takiguchi (novel)
Starring: Ichikawa Ebizō XI, Eita, Kōji Yakusho
The prolific Japanese director Takashi Miike had a big hit with his samurai movie 13 Assassins. He returned to the samurai genre with his follow up movie Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai, a movie that tells how a poverty-sicken samurai who looks for his ronin son-in-law and ends up on a quest of vengeance against a feudal lord.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 80% (very good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Geoffrey Gilmore, From Tribeca Film, Discusses Hara-Kiri, Presented By American Express
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $19.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 4 stars, Video 4.5 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 0 stars, Replay 3 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by John Hyams
Written by John Hyams, Doug Magnuson, Jon Greenlagh
Starring: Scott Adkins, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren
Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning is the fourth entry in the Universal Soldier series (sixth movie overall in the series) and sees a new man lead the series, Scott Adkins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Expendables 2).
John (Adkins) awakens from coma to find out his wife and daughter were killed during a home invasion and he vows to kill the man responsible, UniSol Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme). But as John tries to piece together his memories he is being chased by UniSol Magnus (Andrei Arlovski) and Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren) who leads a team of rogue UniSols.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 49% (average)
Entertainment Fuse Score: 3.5/10
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Includes 3 Making-Of Featurettes and Commentary with Director John Hyams and Dolph Lundgren
Amazon Price: $18.99 (DVD), $19.96 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Death Race 3: Inferno (DVD and Blu-ray)
Directed by Roel Reiné
Written by Tony Giglio (screenplay), Tony Giglio, Paul W.S. Anderson (story)
Starring: Luke Goss, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames
Death Race 3: Inferno is the second straight-to-DVD sequel to Paul W.S. Anderson’s remake of Death Race. Luke Goss (Hellboy II: The Golden Army), Danny Trejo and Ving Rhames reprise their roles as Carl Lucas (Goss), a.k.a. Frankenstein and his crew are only one death race win away from victory and freedom. But they are forced on their toughest race yet, a race in the Kalahari Desert in South Africa.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: N/A
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Deleted Scenes; The Making Of Death Race 3: Inferno; Feature Commentary With Director Roel Reiné; And More!
Additional Blu-ray Special Features: Alternate Opening; Racing For Death; Art Imitating Life: Goldberg; Pocket Blu App; BD Live; Ultraviolet
Amazon Price: $16.99 (DVD), $21.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 3 stars, Video 4 stars, Audio 4.5 stars, Extras 3.5 stars, Replay 4 stars (out of 5). Recommended.
Tai Chi Zero (DVD and Blu-ray)
Written and directed by Stephen Fung
Starring: Yung Xiaochao, Angelababy, Tony Leung Ka Fai
Tai Chi Zero is a 3D martial arts movie about Yang Luchan (Yung Xiaochao), a young man who goes to Chen Village, a village populated by martial arts masters, but cannot teach outsiders. Despite the village’s discouragement, they end up having to trust Yung with Tai Chi when the village is threatened by a battalion of Steampunk soldiers.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 61% (good)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: Behind The Zenes; MuZic VideoZ; TrailerZ
Amazon Price: $12.99 (DVD), $14.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
Ivan’s Childhood (1962) (Blu-ray)
Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky
Written by Vladimir Bogomolov, Mikhail Papava
Starring: Nikolai Burlyayev, Valentin Zubov, Yengeni Zharikov, Stepan Krylov, Nikolai Grinko, Irma Raush
The re-release from the Criterion Collection this week is Andrei Tarkovsky’s (Solaris, The Sacrifice) debut movie, Ivan’s Childhood. Winning the Golden Lion at the 1962 Venice Film Festival, Ivan’s Childhood focuses on Ivan (Nikolai Burlyayev), a 12-year-old boy during World War II who works a spy for the Soviet army because he can cross the German lines without being detected.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 100% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: High-definition digital restoration, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack; Appreciation of filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky and Ivan’s Childhood featuring Vida T. Johnson, coauthor of The Films of Andrei Tarkovsky: A Visual Fugue; Interviews with cinematographer Vadim Yusov and actor Nikolai Burlyaev; PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by film scholar Dina Iordanova; “Between Two Films,” Tarkovsky’s essay on Ivan’s Childhood; and “Ivan’s Willow,” a poem by the director’s father, Arseny Tarkovsky
Amazon Price: $34.99 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): N/A
The Quiet Man (1952) (Blu-ray)
Directed by John Ford
Written by Frank S. Nugent, Richard Llewellyn (screenplay), Maurice Walsh (short story)
Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Ward Bond, Victor McLaglen
John Ford and John Wayne worked on numerous movies, one of them being the Irish-set The Quiet Man, which won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Cinematography. Wayne plays Sean Thornton, an Irish-American boxer in the 1920s who returns to the country of his ancestors to reclaim his family homestead and escape his own dark past. But Sean ends up falling foul of a love triangle and local customs and ends up in a fist fight across the Irish countryside.
Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes: 89% (excellent)
Entertainment Fuse Score: N/A
DISC DETAILS
DVD Special Features: N/A
Amazon Price: $21.86 (Blu-ray)
Score (DVDTalk.com): Content 5 stars, Video 5 stars, Audio 4 stars, Extras 1.5 stars, Replay 5 stars (out of 5). DVD Talk Collector Series.
