The Minions are back! That’s the biggest take away from this week’s collection of new releases, highlighted by what is the most eagerly awaited family film home video debut of the year. But even without those yellow scamps causing mischief, these new offerings would be packed with entertainment value. Take a look!
Bounced from the Anti-Villain League for one failure too many, abandoned by his Minions, and wondering how he’ll support the family, reformed criminal mastermind Gru (voiced by Steve Carell) gets the stunning news that he has a long-lost twin brother–the successful, upbeat, and luxuriously coifed Dru (Carell, again). When it turns out that Dru wants to bond over committing the heist of a lifetime, will Gru be able to keep from backsliding? Hit computer-animated follow-up features the voices of Kristen Wiig, Trey Parker, Julie Andrews.
On the day Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) proposed to his girlfriend he lost her in a terrorist attack…and then began quietly training for the day he could take his vengeance on her killers. Now on U.S. intelligence’s radar, they convince Rapp of their common purpose, and, under the tutelage of SEAL veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton), he’s loosed upon a hardline Iranian cell seeking weapons-grade plutonium. Gripping thriller from Vince Flynn’s action novel co-stars Sanaa Lathan, Taylor Kitsch, David Suchet.
Twin Peaks: A Limited Event Series
A quarter-century’s elapsed since FBI agent Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) ventured to the Pacific Northwest backwoods to look into the murder of teenager Laura Palmer (Sheryl Lee), and time has only ramped up the already bizarre circumstances of the investigation to levels unknown. In revisiting his acclaimed and surreal TV series for Showtime, co-creator David Lynch directed every episode and reunited many of the original show’s company, including Mädchen Amick, Sherilyn Fenn, Ray Wise, Miguel Ferrer, and Michael Horse.
Hopeless–and hopelessly romantic–slacker Stensland (Domhnall Gleeson) was devastated when his gorgeous older pickup Morgan (Christina Applegate) revealed that their fling was initiated for the sole purpose of getting back at her neglectful, high-powered lawyer spouse Grady (Thomas Haden Church). It looks like it’ll get worse when the cuckolded counselor discovers the affair, and hunts his loser rival down…but what happened next defies all expectations! Snappy indie farce also stars Nina Dobrev.
On the downside, 12-year-old Luke (Levi Miller) was stuck at home while his inattentive folks (Virginia Madsen, Patrick Warburton) went to a Christmas party. On the upside, they hired Ashley (Olivia DeJonge)–the gorgeous teenager he’s crushing on–to babysit. On the downside, the house gets broken into by violent intruders…and if you think you know what’s coming, you might have to think again! Black comedy-laden seasonal shocker from Australia also stars Ed Oxenbould, Dacre Montgomery, Aleks Mikic.
Vietnam, 1964: Veteran U.S. combat officer Maj. Asa Barker (Burt Lancaster) reluctantly accepts commands from above to hold a marginally important outpost–the site of a horrific rout of the French a decade earlier–with green recruits and weary local militia. The inevitable is harrowingly recounted in this powerful, overlooked war opus; Craig Wasson, Marc Singer, David Clennon, Evan Kim also star.
Brace yourself for a crazed quartet of sinister stories–as told by the residents of an asylum–courtesy of Amicus Productions and “Psycho” author Robert Bloch. A dismembered murder victim seeks vengeance, in “Frozen Fear”; a suit brings its dead wearer back to life, in “The Weird Tailor”; “Lucy Comes to Stay”…and she’s bringing terror with her: and a scientist creates some killer robots, in “Mannikins of Horror.” Peter Cushing, Britt Ekland, Herbert Lom, Robert Powell, Charlotte Rampling star. AKA: “House of Crazies.
England, 1795: Beautiful new bride Catherine Fengriffin (Stephanie Beacham) is plagued by horrifying visions at her husband’s (Ian Ogilvy) family’s sprawling estate. And with a disembodied hand wreaking havoc, it’s up to psychiatrist Dr. Pope (Peter Cushing) to help Catherine, who seems to be the latest victim of an old Fengriffin family curse. Based on a novel by David Case, this blood-curdling tale from Amicus Productions also stars Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee.
Four-disc set includes Asylum (1972), And Now the Screaming Starts! (1973), The Beast Must Die (1974) plus “The Vault of Amicus,” which celebrates the famed UK studio and their legendary horror tales.