Welcome to Daily Grindhouse’s somewhat-current weekly listing of all that’s new and available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD. Everything you see featured here is available as of now. Some good stuff below. Happy scrolling!

 

 

 

 

ALI: FEAR EATS THE SOUL (1974)

 

Because of my frame of reference, my thoughts whenever I see this title go directly to boxing and zombies. But it’s considered one of the finer German films ever made, so one must not use my frame of reference as an artistic barometer in all things.

 

 

 

 

AMERICAN MUSCLE (2014)

 

The protagonist of this story is named “John Falcon.” That is something I figured you would want to know.

 

 

 

ARE YOU HERE (2013)

 

Are you Yoda? Where’s the question mark? Am I there? I was not there for the theatrical release. I do know that much. Will I be there for the home release? The question mark hangs.

 

 

BEWARE THE BATMAN: SEASON 1 PART 2 (TV)

 

I hear great things. There’s no way it can be even a millimeter worse than that other show with similar subject matter.

 

 

 

BLUE THUNDER (1983)

 

I need to see this movie. It’s part of an unofficial trilogy, as I perceive it, in which Roy Scheider has adventures in vehicles. In JAWS, you see Roy Scheider in a boat. In SORCERER, you see Roy Scheider in a truck. In BLUE THUNDER, he takes to the skies in a state-of-the-art helicopter. Since I adored the first two films in the series where Roy Scheider avails himself of macho vehicles, I clearly need to see the third. Those first two are masterpieces — unless this is a GODFATHER 3 type of situation, this trajectory bodes well for BLUE THUNDER.

 

 

 

CHEF (2014)

 

I like Jon Favreau’s smaller movies, particularly MADE, and if this is him stepping back from the mega-budget arena he’s been wrapped up in for the past decade, I’ll definitely give it a look.

 

 

 

** PICK OF THE WEEK !! **

 

 

COLD IN JULY (2014)

This is currently my favorite movie of the year, unless anything else presents itself. More on this inevitably in a longer review, surely.

 

 

 

DECODING ANNIE PARKER (2013)

You had me at Rashida Jones and Samantha Morton.

 

 

 

GONE WITH THE WIND: 75th ANNIVERSARY EDITION (1939)

 

Maybe you’ve heard of this movie. It’s hard for me to watch Clark Gable performances sincerely ever since it was said that he was part of the inspiration for early Bugs Bunny.

 

 

 

 

 

I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER (1997)

Never did forgive this movie for [SPOILER WARNING BUT WHO REALLY CARES BESIDES ME] killing off Sarah Michelle Gellar.

 

 

 

INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE (1994)

This has always pretty much summed up my general feelings about the Anne Rice take on vampires:

 

 

 

IVORY TOWER (2014)

This documentary examines the exorbitant cost of higher education against its tangible rewards, which is a question well worth asking. I have my own opinions but maybe I should watch this before unloading them.

 

 

 

KILLER FISH (1979)

“Jewel thieves attempt to recover treasure from piranha infested waters.” What a beautiful logline.

 

 

KRULL (1983)

This is a big-deal release for a lot of people. I’m not one; nothing against this movie, it’s just never excited me. But that shouldn’t matter. KRULL fans, this is your day.

 

 

LEPRECHAUN: THE COMPLETE MOVIE COLLECTION

As the only human being I know who’s seen all seven films included in this collection (some more than once), I would definitely like to hear from anyone who makes this purchase.

 

 

 

LEPRECHAUN: ORIGINS (2014)

Recasting Warwick Davis, unless it was his choice, is not wise. This ‘reboot’ has an incredible uphill battle to wage with me.

 

 

 

ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA (1984)

My favorite director of all time takes on my favorite city of all time and the result is glory. I’ve got the previous Blu-Ray release and I doubt I’ll be able to resist getting the extended version. This film deserves so many more words than I’m offering up to it here, but hopefully I can write up a more ornate take soon.

 

 

 

 

PETER & THE WOLF (2006)

This story is a formative influence on me; I grew up listening to Leonard Bernstein’s version and within it are so many of my lifetime preoccupations: horror, humor, heroism, Pyrrhic victories, wolves. This stop-motion version is lovely and absolutely worth sharing with any kids in your life. It won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, if my emphatic recommendation isn’t enough endorsement.

 

 

 

SORDID LIVES (2000)

“It’s a hoot!” I don’t know, man. I just work here.

 

 

 

STUNT SQUAD (1977)

Hard to find too much detail about this one, but if I encounter it in the wild I will snap it up based on that cover alone. STUNT SQUAD is an entry in the Italian genre of poliziotteschi which apparently involves motorcycles in a crucial way. God bless.

 

 

 

SUNDAYS AND CYBELE (1962)

Gosh I don’t know a thing about this film. Here’s the page for it on Criterion’s website.  Looks intriguing and profound, and now I’m somewhat ashamed I know so much about LEPRECHAUN movies and so little about this one.

 

 

THIRD PERSON (2013)

“From the director of CRASH” is not that alluring at this point, which is why Moran Atias adds value.

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION (2014)

Stupid, stupid excess. This is a total waste of your time and money, but it’s your time and money, and it’s up to you how you’d like to spend it. For my part it’s unfathomable how a small army of film professionals can band together to put a robot with a sword on top of a robot dinosaur and still somehow completely elude my interest.

 

 

 

WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY (2007)

Funny movie I haven’t seen in seven years (has it been that long already?); gotta add this to my insanely long to-do list. And that’s not all that’s long about me. AAOOOH!

 __________

On that extraordinary puerile note, we end this week and resume presently with the first new-release column of October. See you then!

 

— JON ABRAMS (@jonnyabomb)

 

 

---

Tags: Blu-ray, dvd, New Releases