A Disney family comedy leads new movies on Blu-ray and DVD this week.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Disney/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2014, PG, featurettes, music video, bloopers). Based on the popular childrens book by Judith Viorst, this family comedy focuses on young Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) who feels his family is ignoring him, especially since hed like to discuss all the things that seem to go wrong for him each day.
That night he wishes his family members could suffer the same indignities so theyd understand. The next day, his wish comes true and everyone in the family Mom (Jennifer Garner), Dad (Steve Carell) and his three siblings all experience one problem after another, which in the end brings the family closer together.
Silly slapstick and some unnecessary vulgarity but mostly a nice family comedy with a game cast, which also includes Megan Mullally, Donald Glover, Jennifer Coolidge and, in a cameo as himself, Dick Van Dyke.
Nightcrawler (Universal/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2014, R for violence and language, audio commentary, featurette). Jet black satire on modern media unfolds as a 21st century extension of Network, focusing on a misanthropic freelance videographer (Jake Gyllenhaal) with zero scruples and apparently no conscience who stumbles into the business of shooting crime and accident scenes for a Los Angeles television station, eventually staging some of what he shoots.
Tough, harsh and riveting, thanks to an uncompromising script and sharp-eyed direction by Dan Gilroy, and especially Gyllenhaals mesmerizing performance. Co-stars include Rene Russo, Bill Paxton and Riz Ahmed.
Kill the Messenger (Universal/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2014, R for language and drugs, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes). Jeremy Renner is excellent as real-life Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Gary Webb who discovers a link between U.S. government intelligence agencies and Central American drug smugglers. But his unrelenting search for the truth puts his career and his family in danger. Co-stars include Rosemarie DeWitt, Michael Sheen, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Oliver Platt and Robert Patrick.
Laggies (Lionsgate/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014, R for language and sex, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes). Keira Knightley is an aimless 20-something who befriends some teens (led by Chloe Grace Moretz) seeking an adult to buy them liquor. This leads to Knightley running away from her fianc and family for a week, during which time she has a fling with the girls single father (Sam Rockwell) as she makes an effort to grow up.
The Song (Sony/DVD/Digital, PG-13, audio commentary, featurettes). Based on the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament, this faith film follows an aspiring singer-songwriter (Alan Powell) attempting to escape the shadow of his famous father (Aaron Benward). At a vineyard festival he meets the owners daughter (Ali Faulkner) and they soon marry, after which he writes his wife The Song, which becomes a runaway hit and puts him on a path toward show-biz temptations.
Predestination (Sony/Blu-ray/DVD, 2014; R for violence, sex, nudity, language). Australian time-travel crime yarn based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story (titled All You Zombies) has a Temporal Agent (Ethan Hawke) pursuing a terrorist that has eluded him for years. Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor co-star.
Brotherhood of Blades (Well Go/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014, not rated, trailer, in Mandarin with English subtitles). Set in 1627 during the Ming Dynasty, this martial arts thriller follows three brothers sworn into the Imperial Guards secret police to track down a fugitive and his followers, but things are not what they seem.
The Lookalike (Well Go/Blu-ray/DVD, 2014, not rated, deleted scenes, featurette, trailer). Wacked-out film noir has an ex-basketball star (Jerry OConnell) teaming up with his brother (Justin Long), a drug dealer (John Corbett) and a tough guy (Steven Bauer) to perform a task for a kingpin (John Savage) that will lead to a major payday. Savage wants them to get a particular woman for him, but when shes killed in a freak accident, they come up with a lookalike (Gillian Jacobs). Gina Gershon is a detective trying to keep up with them.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Disney/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2014, PG, featurettes, music video, bloopers). Based on the popular childrens book by Judith Viorst, this family comedy focuses on young Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) who feels his family is ignoring him, especially since hed like to discuss all the things that seem to go wrong for him each day.
That night he wishes his family members could suffer the same indignities so theyd understand. The next day, his wish comes true and everyone in the family Mom (Jennifer Garner), Dad (Steve Carell) and his three siblings all experience one problem after another, which in the end brings the family closer together.
Silly slapstick and some unnecessary vulgarity but mostly a nice family comedy with a game cast, which also includes Megan Mullally, Donald Glover, Jennifer Coolidge and, in a cameo as himself, Dick Van Dyke.
Nightcrawler (Universal/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2014, R for violence and language, audio commentary, featurette). Jet black satire on modern media unfolds as a 21st century extension of Network, focusing on a misanthropic freelance videographer (Jake Gyllenhaal) with zero scruples and apparently no conscience who stumbles into the business of shooting crime and accident scenes for a Los Angeles television station, eventually staging some of what he shoots.
Tough, harsh and riveting, thanks to an uncompromising script and sharp-eyed direction by Dan Gilroy, and especially Gyllenhaals mesmerizing performance. Co-stars include Rene Russo, Bill Paxton and Riz Ahmed.
Kill the Messenger (Universal/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital/On Demand, 2014, R for language and drugs, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes). Jeremy Renner is excellent as real-life Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Gary Webb who discovers a link between U.S. government intelligence agencies and Central American drug smugglers. But his unrelenting search for the truth puts his career and his family in danger. Co-stars include Rosemarie DeWitt, Michael Sheen, Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta, Oliver Platt and Robert Patrick.
Laggies (Lionsgate/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014, R for language and sex, deleted scenes, audio commentary, featurettes). Keira Knightley is an aimless 20-something who befriends some teens (led by Chloe Grace Moretz) seeking an adult to buy them liquor. This leads to Knightley running away from her fianc and family for a week, during which time she has a fling with the girls single father (Sam Rockwell) as she makes an effort to grow up.
The Song (Sony/DVD/Digital, PG-13, audio commentary, featurettes). Based on the Song of Solomon in the Old Testament, this faith film follows an aspiring singer-songwriter (Alan Powell) attempting to escape the shadow of his famous father (Aaron Benward). At a vineyard festival he meets the owners daughter (Ali Faulkner) and they soon marry, after which he writes his wife The Song, which becomes a runaway hit and puts him on a path toward show-biz temptations.
Predestination (Sony/Blu-ray/DVD, 2014; R for violence, sex, nudity, language). Australian time-travel crime yarn based on a Robert A. Heinlein short story (titled All You Zombies) has a Temporal Agent (Ethan Hawke) pursuing a terrorist that has eluded him for years. Sarah Snook and Noah Taylor co-star.
Brotherhood of Blades (Well Go/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital, 2014, not rated, trailer, in Mandarin with English subtitles). Set in 1627 during the Ming Dynasty, this martial arts thriller follows three brothers sworn into the Imperial Guards secret police to track down a fugitive and his followers, but things are not what they seem.
The Lookalike (Well Go/Blu-ray/DVD, 2014, not rated, deleted scenes, featurette, trailer). Wacked-out film noir has an ex-basketball star (Jerry OConnell) teaming up with his brother (Justin Long), a drug dealer (John Corbett) and a tough guy (Steven Bauer) to perform a task for a kingpin (John Savage) that will lead to a major payday. Savage wants them to get a particular woman for him, but when shes killed in a freak accident, they come up with a lookalike (Gillian Jacobs). Gina Gershon is a detective trying to keep up with them.