Review: New on DVD for May 19 (Includes first-hand account)

Chris Kyle’s (Bradley Cooper) mission is to protect his brothers in arms while being a prime target of insurgents. Despite the danger, as well as the toll on his family at home, Chris serves through four harrowing tours of duty in Iraq, personifying the spirit of the SEAL creed to “leave no one behind.” But upon returning to his wife, Taya (Sienna Miller) and kids, Chris finds that it is the war he can’t leave behind.

This is a tale that started gaining footing during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars — soldiers with PTSD who couldn’t figure out how to live off the battlefield. Kyle was a sniper — a position for which people have mixed feelings — but this film portrays him as an American hero who kept his team safe. Conversely, at home he is distant and causing his wife to feel increasingly abandoned each time he volunteers to go back. Miller is particularly genuine in this fairly emotional role. Cooper was required to physically transform for this part as well as take on the psychology of Kyle, putting on approximately 40 pounds for the production. Although Kyle gained public notoriety for being murdered by another soldier on home soil, the movie only briefly touches on that aspect preferring to focus on everything before it.

Special features include: making-of featurette; and “One Soldier’s Story: The Journey of American Sniper.” (Warner Home Video)

Boardwalk Empire: The Complete Series (Blu-ray & Digital copy)

The show chronicles the live and times of Enoch “Nucky” Thompson (Steve Buscemi). Over the course of five seasons, Nucky undergoes vicious power struggles and deals with opportunistic rivals — including Arnold Rothstein, Lucky Luciano and Al Capone — at a time when Prohibition proved to be a major catalyst in the rise of organized crime in America.

In 2010, HBO showed the world how stylish, charismatic and violent the roaring ‘20s really were by launching a crime drama about one man’s rise in organized crime in Atlantic City. Over five seasons, Nucky’s control of his Prohibition empire would be distinguished, challenged, lost and regained. The appearance of history’s major players during the era gave the show more credibility, but its connection to real event was mostly irrelevant; the characters and the world in which they lived were attention-grabbing on their own merits. Smaller roles, such as those of Chalky and Richard, were expanded and became more integral to the story over time. Conversely, other characters were eliminated in spite of playing a substantial part in the narrative (no spoilers). In addition to dealing with business conflicts, Nucky also confronts personal issues in every season that are developed through enlightening flashbacks. The end of the series marks the end of an era for Nucky as the landscape becomes increasingly dangerous with numerous attempted and successful assassinations. Fortunately, the final doesn’t leave any holes, remaining true to its characters to the very bitter end.

Special features include: “The Final Shot: A Farewell to Boardwalk Empire”; “Anatomy of a Hit”; “Building the Boardwalk”; “Shooting the series”; and “Visual Effects.” (HBO Home Entertainment)

Da Sweet Blood of Jesus (DVD)

Dr. Hess Green (Stephen Tyrone Williams) becomes cursed by a mysterious ancient African artifact and is overwhelmed with a newfound thirst for blood. Soon after his transformation, he enters into a dangerous romance with Ganja Hightower (Zaraah Abrahams) that questions the very nature of love, addiction, sex and status in our seemingly sophisticated society.

Regardless of any protests by the filmmakers, this is an unconventional vampire story attached to another mystical legend. Green and Ganja bond over unpleasant circumstances, which appear to make their connection stronger. As they become consumed by each other, everything else falls away. Yet in spite of his status, Green indiscriminately preys on the lower class associating his thirst with sexual desire, even leaving a child motherless to satisfy his own hunger. This is one of Spike Lee‘s odder contributions to film, choosing to create his vampire lore and creating many questions in the process.

There are no special features. (Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada & Raven Banner Entertainment)

Harley Davidson and the Marlboro Man (Blu-ray)

When their favourite bar is threatened with closure, outlaw biker Harley (Mickey Rourke) and modern-day cowboy Marlboro (Don Johnson) hatch a scheme to save the day — by robbing the corrupt bank behind the bar’s shutdown. When the robbery yields not money but a shipment of drugs, Harley and Marlboro find themselves on the run from the bank’s sinister president (Tom Sizemore) and a posse of seemingly unstoppable hit men.

This is somewhat of a modern day Western, complete with unconventional heroes and a contemporary stage coach robbery. Harley and Marlboro couldn’t be more different, yet they’re the best of friends with Harley making fun of his friend’s duct-taped boots and Marlboro constantly bailing his companion out of whatever trouble he’s gotten himself into. Sizemore’s bad guy is of comic proportions, complete with an oversized gang of goons that do his bidding. They are lead via a rare appearance by the eldest Baldwin brother, Daniel. Even though the story is pretty ridiculous, it’s difficult not to like the duo and root for them as they take on the evil side of corporate America.

Special features include: vintage featurette; and theatrical trailer. (Shout Factory)

Hellmouth (Blu-ray & DVD)

Terminally ill and struck with a depressing job as a grave-keeper, Charlie (Stephen McHattie) only wants to retire to Florida and live out the rest of his remaining days in peace. However, this proves to be only a pipe dream, as his boss Mr. Whinny (Boyd Banks) forces Charlie to take on a job at another cemetery and postpone his retirement plans. While traveling to the cemetery Charlie meets Fay (Siobhan Murphy), a beautiful hitchhiker. They share an instant romantic connection, but their happiness is threatened by the fact that Charlie’s new cemetery is actually a gateway to hell that puts both of them at risk.

Entirely understanding this narrative, particularly on the first viewing, is not necessary to appreciate its stunning, comic book-style visuals. The unusualness of the story becomes plainer when one realizes it’s emerged from the mind of Tony Burgess, who tantalizes readers with strange stories of peculiar nightmares — see Pontypool. McHattie is well-suited to the role of distraught anti-hero, carrying on even though it appears as if the world around him is crumbling into the depths of hell. It’s not the “realistic” CGI to which viewers have become accustomed, but rather a very stylistic setting for an imaginative story. Possessions, crossing the river Styx and a key with strange abandonment issues make this movie an interesting watch for genre fans.

There are no special features. (Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada & Raven Banner Entertainment)

Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (Blu-ray & Digital copy)

When an epic party goes wrong, Nick (Craig Robinson) and Jacob (Clark Duke) fire up the hot tub in order to save Lou (Rob Corddry). After unexpectedly landing in the year 2025, they meet Adam Jr., (Adam Scott) and team up on a mission to fix the present.

Where the first film was comically innovative, this film falls flat on its face. Playing with former trends and pop culture was clearly easier for the writers than imagining an absurd future of new porn technology and outrageous, virtual reality game shows. John Cusack was wise enough not to give this crummy sequel more than a minute of his time, but the same cannot be said about the rest of the group. Robinson, Duke and Corddry reprise their roles with the same commitment, in spite of the inferior storyline. Lou’s contemptible behaviour is relied on too heavily to carry the narrative, which loses its appeal very quickly. The occasional laugh is not worth the minutes of your life you will never recoup after watching this movie.

Special features include: commentary by director Steve Pink and writer Josh Heald; deleted and extended scenes; making-of featurette; “The Future as Seen from the Tub”; “You’re in the Hot Tub Now”; and bloopers and gag reel. (Paramount Home Media Distribution)

Leviathan (Blu-ray)

In a small coastal town in Russia lives an ordinary family: Kolya (Aleksey Serebryakov) his wife Lilya (Elena Lyadova) and their teenage son Roma (Sergey Pokhodaev). The family is haunted by a local corrupt mayor (Roman Madyanov) who is trying to take away Kolya’s business, house and precious land. Kolya calls in an old friend (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), now an authoritative attorney, for help. Together they fight back and collect dirt on the mayor, but fate does not seem to be on Kolya’s side.

For many filmgoers, this was their favourite to win the best foreign language category at this year’s Academy Awards. The honour would go to an equally deserving film (Ida), but there would’ve been no objections if this picture had received the Oscar. The story begins in the thick of it as Kolya’s lawyer friend from the city tries to help him recover his property from a bullying politician. With few legal options remaining, they select to try some illegal ones before throwing in the towel. However, it’s not just the physical existence of their home at stake. The emotional well-being of their family is also on shaky ground and may be in greater need of assistance, though it’s not as obvious to everyone involved. Powerful performances drive the emotions of this family’s turmoil home, gripping audiences to the last.

Special features include: commentary by director Andrey Zvyagintsev and producer Alexander Rodnyansky; deleted scenes; making-of featurette; and TIFF Q&A with director Andrey Zvyagintsev. (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Stigmata (Blu-ray)

Frankie Paige (Patricia Arquette) has absolutely no faith in God. All of that changes when she suddenly begins to suffer the stigmata — the living wounds of the crucified Christ. Frankie’s miraculous bleeding comes to the attention of the Vatican’s top investigator, Father Kiernan (Gabriel Byrne). But when Cardinal Houseman (Jonathan Pryce), discovers that Frankie is actually channeling an extraordinary and provocative message that could destroy the Church, he’s convinced that she — and the force possessing her — must be forever silenced. Determined to stop this deadly conspiracy, Kiernan risks his faith and his life to save her and the message that will change the destiny of mankind forever.

This is a film about a wholly religious affliction that simultaneously condemns the religion with which it’s associated. Using Frankie’s experience with stigmata and the angry spirit of an expelled priest, filmmakers attempt to expose the Vatican by accusing them of concealing a text supposedly recording the actual words of Jesus. Whether you believe this indictment or not is not integral to the story, but obviously an attempt to capitalize on people’s distrust of the church. The narrative alone is a captivating tale of the supernatural (until it gets overly religious). The wounds inflicted on Frankie and people’s reactions to her suffering is akin to other haunting stories, by which her mental stability is questioned and all other options are exhausted before anyone is willing to consider an unnatural cause. The ending is not very satisfying, but necessary to the propaganda plot.

Special features include: commentary by director Rupert Wainwright; deleted scenes; alternate ending; “Incredible But True – Stigmata: Marked For Life”; “Divine Rights: The Story Of Stigmata”; Natalie Imbruglia music video for “Identify”; and theatrical trailer. (Scream Factory)

Strange Magic (DVD)

The magical adventure features a host of colorful characters including a princess (Evan Rachel Wood) who has sworn off love, a dubious villain (Alan Cumming) and his matchmaker mom (Maya Rudolf), a slightly nutty Sugar Plum Fairy (Kristin Chenoweth) and a knight who is no Prince Charming (Sam Palladio).

Most animated movies nowadays – particularly ones from the Disney/Pixar camp – contain a central musical element. However this animated movie is a full-on musical, pulling tracks from various eras to tell its story. The characters consistently breakout into song to express their feelings, from love to heartbreak to anger. The soundtrack includes “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)” and “Mistreated,” all of which are performed by the actors . The singles are actually integrated seamlessly into the narrative and make the movie fun, even if the plot is a little convoluted. The relations between the princess and villain are quite amusing as their playful antagonism clearly masks an unexplainable attraction. Like most Lucasfilm productions the movie depends on a sense of magic to carry it through, which it does unfailingly.

Special features include: “Creating the Magic”; and “Magical Mash Up.” (Lucasfilm)

The Vatican Exorcism (DVD)

Hoping to expose a shocking scandal inside the Vatican, a documentary filmmaker (Joe Marino) travels to Rome to interview several key witnesses but finds himself unearthing something far more sinister. Delving deeper, he becomes dangerously close to exposing a much darker reality of corruption and demonic forces. As he is drawn further into the satanic underworld, he soon discovers that sometimes the truth is best kept hidden.

The mockumentary — fictional movies posing as documentaries — trend is not losing steam, though its quality is moving in the opposite direction of its popularity. This movie had numerous weaknesses, most of which were avoidable but wouldn’t necessarily result in major improvements. First, the multiple camera angles are meant to appeal to generation accustomed to split screen video games; but even so, it’s disjointing and difficult to watch. In addition characters refer to occurrences that are easy to miss (on multiple viewings), leaving viewers on the fringe of the story. This inclination carries through as the effects on the lead documentarian remain vague throughout and often making little sense, right until the end. Even the exorcisms, save for the last one, are dull and fail to make the rest of the film worth the viewer’s effort.

Special features include: photo gallery; and trailer. (Anchor Bay Entertainment)