Even though Halloween is tomorrow, this week’s DVD and Blu-ray new releases offer up no tricks, but plenty of treats! Leading things off is a lavish new special edition of one of the best loved films of the 1980s (if not all time). Other noteworthy offerings now available include a silly and sensational spy comedy, several cult favorites spanning the decades, a superhero cartoon comedy, classics from the Library of Congress, and more! Here’s the latest and greatest titles that you’ll want to add to your film collection!
The Princess Bride (Criterion Collection)
Follow the quest of a young swashbuckler (Cary Elwes) to rescue the beautiful title heroine (Robin Wright) from her sinister husband-to-be (Chris Sarandon), in director Rob Reiner’s fun and fetching fairy tale for the whole family. Along the way, our hero encounters a host of colorful characters, including a wily mastermind (Wallace Shawn), a gentle giant (Andre the Giant), and a noble Spanish swordsman (Mandy Patinkin). With Christopher Guest, Peter Falk, and Billy Crystal.
After Audrey (Mila Kunis) is dropped by boyfriend Drew (Justin Theroux)–in a text message, no less–she learns he’s actually a CIA agent on a dangerous assignment. Despite not being remotely qualified for the job, Audrey and best friend Morgan (Kate McKinnon) are nevertheless drawn into the world of international espionage as they head to Europe in order to see that encrypted, life-saving information is safely delivered. Fast-paced comedic actioner co-stars Gillian Anderson, Sam Heughan.
In the Pacific Northwest of the early ‘80s, lumberjack Red (Nicolas Cage) lived a quiet life with his fantasy artist lady love Mandy (Andrea Riseborough). That was until a cult leader (Linus Roache) came to town, decided he’d have her…and set earthly and unearthly minions upon them when he didn’t get his way. Now, armed with ax and crossbow, Red’s determined to take his vengeance. Outrageous, metal-redolent horror-actioner from Panos Cosmatos co-stars Bill Duke, Richard Brake.
Cosmetics mogul Janice Starlin (Susan Cabot) finds her beauty starting to decline…and her company’s sales right along with it. An age-defying skin cream developed by a scientist (Michael Mark) helps restore her youthful appearance, but Janice soon learns that the “wasp enzymes” in the formula are turning her into an insect-headed monster! Horrific (dare we say it?) “Bee”-movie from Roger Corman co-stars Barboura Morris, Anthony Eisley, William Roerick.
Semi-invalid and suffocating mother Yvonne (Yvonne de Bray) was distraught that her young son Michel (Jean Marais) was looking to slip the apron strings and propose to the hardly-good-enough Madeleine (Josette Day). She’d feel much worse, certainly, if she had any inkling that her boy’s love happened to be the mistress of her husband Georges (Marcel André). Jean Cocteau’s striking and skillful screen adaptation of his stage success also stars Gabrielle Dorziat.
A quartet of bored high school friends thought it’d be all giggles if they went online to discover how to summon the shadowy, willowy child predator whispered of in internet myth. Their search results, however, came up with unholy terror, as visions of the Slender Man began to fill their waking moments as well as their nightmares–from which there was no hitting “escape.” Effective shocker stars Joey King, Julia Goldani Telles, Jaz Sinclair, Annalise Basso, and Javier Botet as the Slender Man.
The animated played-for-laughs predicaments of DC’s adolescent superheroes come to the big screen, as Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Beast Boy conclude that their only road to respect lies with heading to Hollywood and starring in their own feature. Can they make it past the world-shaking schemes of archfoe Slade, much less the pitch meeting? Savvy super-flick satire stars the voices of Scott Menville, Greg Cipes, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, Will Arnett, Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage.
Found at “Mostly Lost”: Volume 2
Since the Library of Congress established its annual Mostly Lost workshop in 2012, film archivists and fans have participated in the identification of preserved silent and early sound films that are missing their main titles. These once-unidentified treasures–including comedies, dramas, newsreels, and actuality films–feature new musical scores by Ben Model, Philip Carli, and Andrew Simpson, the live accompanists at the Mostly Lost screenings. Includes “Adolph Zink” (1903), “And the Villain Still Pursued Her, Or the Author’s Dream” (1906), “The Faithful Dog, Or True to the End” (1907), “The Falling Arrow” (1909), “In the Tall Grass Country” (1910) with Francis Ford and Edith Storey, “The Noodle Nut” (1921) with Billy Bletcher, “Fresh Fish” (1922), “Do Me a Favor” (1922) with Snub Pollard, “Derby Day” (1922) with Monty Banks, and “The Sunshine Spreader” (1920s).
Which of these are you wanting to check out? Tell us in the comments!