Review: There are plenty of things to fear in this week’s releases (Includes first-hand account)

After barely surviving a furious shootout with the police, Baby (Sheri Moon Zombie), Otis Driftwood (Bill Moseley), and Captain Spaulding (Sid Haig) are behind bars. But pure evil cannot be contained, and a firestorm of murder, madness, and mayhem will be released in this terror ride to Hell… and back.

This is the third installment in what is currently Rob Zombie‘s blood-spattered trilogy featuring the Devil’s Rejects. Fans learned Haig passed away shortly before this release, making this his last picture and the last appearance of the chilling Captain Spaulding. As his character’s contributions were limited due to his illness, the threesome gets a new partner in a half-brother called Foxy (Richard Brake). With Baby becoming loopier than before and their patriarch absent, the group’s dynamic changes significantly. Even the deceased Sheriff Wydell gets a replacement in the mustachioed warden (Jeff Daniel Phillips). The film feels as if it’s attempting to recapture the magic of its predecessor, which is nearly impossible — particularly under the circumstances. The Rejects would’ve been better served with a completely new story, though they are still true to their characters’ murderous impulses and lust for blood.

Special features include: commentary with writer/director Rob Zombie; and making-of four-part documentary. (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

900 Days (DVD)

The blockade was one of the defining moments of World War II, but remains largely unremembered outside of Russia. In September 1941, the three million inhabitants of the city now known as St. Petersburg were trapped without food or drinking water. For 900 days, people ate glue, leather soles, cats, and perhaps even their fellow human beings. When the siege was over, nearly a million people had died. Immediately after the war, investigations of the blockade were forbidden. The Soviet propaganda machine transformed the survivors into a symbol of national heroism, silencing any questions about Stalin’s war policy and its toll on the lives of ordinary Russians.

One doesn’t need to know much about WWII or Russia to appreciate and empathize with the stories of the survivors. Most of those still alive to tell the tale were children during the Leningrad Blockade, but they still remember it vividly. For more than two years, the city was surrounded by Germans who held it hostage by cutting off all supply routes. The Soviet propaganda machine tried to veil their dire circumstances with tales of war victories, but everyone could see with their own eyes as deaths already in the thousands quadrupled in the winter. They each have their tales of survival, though so many will still not disparage or blame Stalin. However, there is a group of survivors disgusted with the annual celebration of their “heroism,” i.e. survival, as they were victims of circumstance who lost their loved ones and good health. Now that there are no repercussions for speaking the truth, there seems to be a dignity regained by the survivors — even though revisiting those memories is clearly difficult for them.

Special features include: interviews with director Jessica Gorter and Siege of Leningrad survivors. (Icarus Films)

Anna and the Apocalypse (DVD)

A zombie apocalypse threatens the sleepy town of Little Haven — at Christmas — forcing Anna (Ella Hunt) and her friends to fight, slash and sing their way to survival, facing the undead in a desperate race to reach their loved ones. But they soon discover that no one is safe in this new world, and with civilization falling apart around them, the only people they can truly rely on are each other.

Horror comedies are quite common, but horror musicals are far rarer. This film is both as well as a Christmas movie as Anna and her friends frequently break out into song to express their feelings and use holiday decorations to defend themselves. The musical numbers include choreography and choruses that get the rest of the anonymous student body involved, dancing and singing along. Like many who feel they’re big fish in a small pond, Anna is desperate to get away and see the world (or at least Australia). The zombie outbreak is shown very slowly as they unknowingly pass the undead in the streets, until a playground confrontation leads to a creative decapitation. There’s no questioning “what’s happening” as everyone quickly accepts they’re in the middle of a zombie outbreak and they should aim for the head. The character development is a little muddy, but it’s an enjoyable Christmas horror comedy musical.

Special features include: behind-the-scenes featurette; and trailer. (Cinedigm)

Crawl (Blu-ray, DVD & Digital copy)

As a hurricane tears through Florida, Haley (Kaya Scodelario) rushes to find her father (Barry Pepper), who is injured and trapped in the crawl space of their home. With the storm intensifying and water levels rising, the pair face an even bigger threat lurking below the surface.

This is a new take on Jaws that also takes into account some of the more outlandish potential consequences of global warming. However, the movie works better than it should because the possibility of alligators freely roaming flooded areas of Florida seems to be at least somewhat of a plausible fear. The only real downfall is the narrative’s need for the gators to occasionally nip their prey, while not killing or maiming them so the movie can maintain its intensity but also continue beyond the first act — anyone who’s watched a nature documentary knows with their jaw strength you’re looking at more than just shallow bite marks. Nonetheless, the movie’s efforts to keep audiences on the edge of their seats is effective, the characters are performed well and occasionally make the right decision, and enough of the picture is reasonably realistic to give viewers nightmares.

Special features include: intro to alternate opening; alternate opening; deleted and extended scenes; “Beneath Crawl”; “Category 5 Gators: The VFX of Crawl”; and “Alligator Attacks.” (Paramount Home Entertainment)

Genius Party and Genius Party Beyond (Blu-ray)

From ground-breaking animation outfit Studio 4°C comes two extraordinary projects with a shared, simple vision: to take an all-star team of some of the best animators working in anime today, and give each free rein to tell a unique short story built around “the spirit of creativity.”

As there’s no connecting theme or style between these animated shorts, it’s clear each director was given the freedom to do as they wished. The results offer a lot of variety and will appeal to different people. Some are without speech, relying on visuals and music to tell the story. Others are on the opposite end of the spectrum with non-stop dialogue accompanying fluid images. Some offer more traditional narratives, while others are strange stories with no grounding in reality. Even the animation style differs, often fitting the type of tale being shared. Viewers’ favourites will likely differ, but with shorts about friendship, existentialism, love and heroes, there’s something for everyone.

There are no special features. (GKIDS & Shout Factory)

The Haunting of Hill House (Blu-ray)

A modern reimagining of Shirley Jackson’s legendary novel about five siblings who grew up in the most famous haunted house in America. Now adults, they’re reunited by the suicide of their youngest sister, which forces them to finally confront the ghosts of their pasts… some of which lurk in their minds… and some of which may really be lurking in the shadows of the iconic Hill House.

Making scary movies sounds easy, but there’s a finesse to gripping a viewer’s attention and drawing them into a world of supernatural phenomenon that is not only frightening but feels real. Jackson’s book has seen a couple of film adaptations, but this TV series is a whole other level of ghost story. Unfolding over multiple timelines, audiences experience the haunted home from the perspective of various family members as well as its impact on their adult lives, which have included a careers in death and constant therapy. It can occasionally be difficult to identify the current timeline, but that’s part of the mystery as viewers and characters explore the truth of their experiences. The most impressive episode takes place at the funeral home as the beginning of it was shot in a single, spectacular take… though there’s plenty to be impressed with overall.

Special features include: extended director’s cuts of and commentary on select episodes. (Paramount Home Entertainment)

Marianne & Leonard: Words of Love (DVD)

The documentary starts on the Greek island of Hydra in 1960, where Leonard Cohen, then a struggling and unknown fiction writer, and Marianne Ihlen, a single mother with a young son, became part of a community of expat artists, writers, and musicians. Never-before-seen footage shot by Nick Broomfield and legendary documentarian D.A. Pennebaker make for a unique portrait of an idyllic 1960’s bohemia. It was a time that left a lasting imprint on both Marianne and Leonard, whose friendship would last another fifty years before their deaths in 2016.

In many ways, Cohen was a stereotypical artist who indulged in the freedom and vices of his creativity. Living on Hydra was his opportunity to do anything and everything he wanted, which actually included a lot of composing as well as romance. Marianne never considered herself a great beauty, but she didn’t see herself through Cohen’s eyes. Based on everyone’s account, including his own, Marianne inspired him. They also truly enjoyed each other’s company… until his independence and fame became an obstacle to their relationship rather than a charm. Their story is told chronologically via a combination of archival footage and countless interviews that are incredibly revealing and candid. At least in hindsight, everyone else could see where their relationship went wrong though the pair was oblivious to their poor choices until it was too late. One of most beautiful aspects of the film is how they each treasured the time they had together and maintained their connection for decades after the affair fizzled out.

There are no special features. (Lionsgate Home Entertainment)

The Omen Collection [Deluxe Edition] (Blu-ray)

This five-disc set includes 1976’s The Omen (new 4K remaster); Damien: Omen II, in which Damien discovers his destiny; The Final Conflict, in which he realizes his full power; and Omen IV: The Awakening, in which a demonic force returns in the form of a wicked young girl. The haunting legacy comes full circle with the 2006 remake.

This five-movie collection encompasses the entire franchise, from the antichrist’s birth to the full realization of his powers then back again when the original picture fell victim to the horror remake surge of the 2000s. The first picture benefitted from the creepiness of an evil child whose only signs of maleficence are the bodies that surround him. The role of Damien’s father was a departure for Gregory Peck, but his protests to the original ending allowed the franchise to live on. The second picture feels like more of the first as anyone Damien doesn’t like ends up dead, but now he realizes he has this power and exerts more control over it. By the time he’s an adult in the third movie, he believes he’s on the path to rule the world. The fourth film was an attempt to reboot the franchise with a new evil child, but it’s too much of a rehash that doesn’t play as well. Then, 30 years after the first picture, they released a nearly identical remake with only minor differences that doesn’t serve much of a purpose.

Special features include: commentaries; deleted and extended scenes; featurettes and interviews; still galleries; and theatrical trailers. (Scream Factory)

Spongebob Squarepants: The Complete Tenth Season (DVD)

Order Up! The complete tenth season of SpongeBob SquarePants is serving up 22 stories fresh off the grill! Check out the grand opening of SpongeBob’s Place, say farewell to the Chum Bucket and grab some free ice cream with Patrick! Then, stick around for more tales of the deep: SpongeBob is allergic to his pineapple home, a strange moon turns everyone in town into wild animals, and Plankton and Karen lose their love connection!

In spite of being on air for a decade and telling hundreds of stories, the adventures of Bikini Bottom continue to delight fans, new and old. The first episode contains one of the series’ most bizarre tales as the new fad sweeping the sea is a device that pilots your brain like a drone. Unsurprisingly, Sandy must come to the rescue when it all goes predictably wrong for Spongebob and Patrick. In other narratives, Spongebob is uncommonly applauded when he creates safer bubble cars and somehow finds himself wielding the magical triton. The series also offers an interesting, though misleading, representation of life insurance. This season delivers another amusing 11 episodes for a TV show that doesn’t feel like it’s going anywhere anytime soon.

There are no special features. (Paramount Home Entertainment)