Mike Spring
What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture – August 27th, 2024
A few weeks back, I changed the name of this column from What’s New & Noteworthy on Home Video to What’s New in Home Video & Pop Culture. The reason for that is because I’m semi-regularly receiving other review materials – books, soundtracks, games, etc. – and I wanted people to know they could find more than just home video here (although home video reviews will always come first!) This week is a perfect example of that, as in addition to DVD/Blu-ray/4K Ultra HD releases, I also have coverage of a movie novelization and a TV show’s soundtrack on vinyl! Neat! Read on to check out all of the cool things I’ve received for review lately!
Despicable Me 4 (Digital Release)
The Movie: While Despicable Me 4 is not available on physical media home video yet (it will be released on DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD later this year), you can now rent or buy it on most major streaming platforms. I really enjoy the Despicable Me movies, so I was excited to revisit the franchise with another offering in the mothership series (even though I do enjoy the Minions spin-offs). Despicable Me 4 sees Gru and his family enter the Anti-Villain League witness protection program after one of Gru’s high school rivals escapes from prison (after Gru arrested and humiliated him, natch.) Gru, along with his wife and the three girls, plus his new baby boy Gru Jr. have to try and adapt to a new kind of suburban life without drawing attention to themselves; something that’s almost impossible. Of course, bad guy Maxime Le Mal (voiced by Will Ferrell with a French accent, a first for the actor, I think) is scheming his revenge and enlisting his army of cockroaches to take Gru and his family down. As I said, I enjoy the Despicable Me movies and this one is no different, although it’s not going to go down as my favorite of the franchise. Having the bad guy control an army of cockroaches – even “cute” animated cockroaches – is, well, a little gross. And some of the humor leans a little more to the scatological and lowest common denominator than I would have preferred. Still, it has a lot of action and a lot of laughs, so kids will love it and parents will enjoy it alongside them.
The Wrap-Up: There are no special features to review with the digital release, but we will dive into those when the physical home video hits streets in a couple of months. For now, if you just want to watch (or rewatch, since it was a box office smash) Despicable Me 4 with the family, you can find it on most any major streaming platform where you can rent or purchase movies. Despicable Me 4 should be a crowd pleaser despite being a little less strong than the previous efforts, but it is also the fourth film in a franchise and the fact that it’s still enjoyable at all is no small feat.
Ride
The Movie: Ride is a tense and effective drama from writer/actor Jake Allyn, who also steps behind the camera to direct for the first time. The film stars C. Thomas Howell and Annabeth Gish, and it follows a family with, well, a lot going on. Howell plays John Hawkins, a retired bull rider whose son is getting out of prison and has a drug problem, his young daughter is dealing with a savage bout of cancer, and his estranged wife is also the town’s sheriff. When the family needs money to pay for cancer treatments, John gets back on the bull, but he and his son also look to extralegal means to get the money out of sheer desperation. Sheriff Monica Hawkins also has to investigate goings-ons that lead her to believe something isn’t 100% right in the Hawkins household. The plot (and especially the understanding of all the various relationships) gets a little murky from time to time, but by and large it’s a solid drama with a bit of a crime element mixed in (although it really isn’t the driving force of the whole film.) C. Thomas Howell and Annabeth Gish both shine in roles that they give their all to, and director Allyn really makes the film feel lived in and dusty like the Texas locales it takes place in. Also, the rodeo scenes are shot like an action movie with visceral cinematography and editing that really pack a punch. There is a faith-based message in the film, but it doesn’t overwhelm or become the driving point of the film, which I appreciated.
The Special Features: There are seven interview featurettes with all of the main cast members, plus the film’s trailer.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: Ride was honestly better than I expected it to be, largely due to the performances by Howell and Gish and also Allyn’s sure hand behind the camera. It has its flaws and it’s not a masterpiece, but if you’re looking for a family drama that isn’t too much of a melodrama and has some tension and some action, Ride will fit the bill.
High Crime (3-Disc 4K Ultra HD)
The Movie: When you think of Italian cinema and the genres that have become cult favorites in the US, you usually think of either horror (Giallo) or westerns (Spaghetti westerns). But there’s another genre out of Italy that has a big fan base, that of the police/crime film. Italy is one of the most proficient countries when it comes to movies dealing with police, mobsters, crimes, heists, corruption, and the like, often referred to as the “Poliziotteschi” genre. One notable entry in the genre is 1973’s High Crime, produced in the wake of the success of The French Connection and coming to 4K Ultra HD this week courtesy of Blue Underground. The film stars international superstar Franco Nero as well as James Whitmore and Fernando Rey. Nero plays Commissioner Belli, a tough-as-nails cop whose family becomes targeted by heroin dealing mobsters. From there, it becomes an action-packed thrill ride as he races the clock to protect his loved ones and take down the bad guys. The opening sequence of this movie alone is one of the coolest action sequences I’ve seen in a long time, and the film from there is a tense action outing that has a few flaws and is a little dated but is pretty darn cool on the whole. The film now comes to home video as a three-disc set that includes a 4K Ultra HD disc, a Blu-ray disc, and a soundtrack CD, making this the ultimate version of High Crime to own.
The 4K Video/Audio: I wasn’t expecting a lot from a 1973 movie out of Italy, but I am quite impressed with this new 4K Ultra HD remastering effort. Imagery is surprisingly sharp and clear, and while the print isn’t completely devoid of the occasional speck of dust or dirt, it’s largely a very clean transfer. Colors are solid and lifelike, and the overall imagery is quite pleasing to the eye. The soundtrack is presented in its original mono form (in either Italian or English), so there’s not a lot to get excited abut there, but it is authentic, and I can say that I didn’t have any problems making out dialogue at any point, so it does its job well enough.
The Special Features: There are no less than three audio commentary tracks on this release, including a new one with the film’s star, Franco Nero. How cool is that? Then there are a number of interview featurettes, including one with Nero, two with director Enzo G. Castellari, and three more with crew members who made the film. There’s an additional retrospective featurette with Eurocrime director Mike Malloy, an alternate ending, a poster and still gallery, and a trailer. Plus, of course, you get the aforementioned soundtrack CD, which includes an exclusive bonus track as well. This is a jam-packed release!
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: High Crime is a movie I had only passing knowledge of when I sat down to review it. I’ve seen enough of the Poliziotteschi genre to know there are good ones and bad ones, and this is definitely one of the best I’ve seen yet. This is an outstanding release that has everything a fan could ask for.
Dragonkeeper
The Movie: There are so many animated films making their way to home video these days that it can be tough sorting through them all. And I don’t even mean the ones like Despicable Me 4 above, because those are huge Hollywood hits that most people know if their families want to see or not. But there’s also a sizable international animation scene, and many of those movies make their way to home video with English dubbing and garner little attention. Dragonkeeper is the newest movie in the international animation realm to hit DVD in the US. It’s a Spanish-Chinese collaboration that is based on the book by Carole Wilkinson and stars Bill Nighy and newcomer Mayalinee Griffiths. The story follows young girl Ping who befriends one of the last dragons in the world and takes on a mission to help deliver a dragon egg to magical waters that will allow it to hatch. (There used to be more dragons, but as is always the case, humans ruined that.) While so many of these direct-to-video animated movies can be a little weak or poorly animated or featuring bad scripts, Dragonkeeper surprised me by being quite enjoyable. The story is engaging, the computer-generated animation is beautiful (even if it’s a little on the simpler side, but in a stylized way), and the film has real heart. It might have a few moments that are over the heads for the youngest kids, but most children in first or second grade and up will likely enjoy it.
The Special Features: There are no extras on the disc.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: Dragonkeeper has some elements we’ve seen in other films; it’s not going to make any “most original story” awards lists anytime soon, but it’s still an endearing film that families can enjoy together. Dragonkeeper is definitely worth tracking down.
Shogun Vinyl Soundtrack
The Soundtrack: When I was a kid, James Clavell’s Shogun was a TV miniseries that was one of the biggest pop culture events of the ‘80s. I mean, it was huge. Fast forward to 2024 and we were treated to a new version of Shogun, this time a 10-episode miniseries from FX. I don’t know that it had quite the same impact as the original miniseries, but it does seem to have found something of an audience. While it has not been released on home video yet, this week we were able to get a review copy of the soundtrack for the show, released on vinyl by Mutant, a niche label that features artistically driven vinyl soundtracks, posters, and apparel (similar to a company like Mondo). This single-disc vinyl release features the soundtrack by composers Atticus Ross (The Social Network, Watchmen, Gone Girl), Leopold Ross (Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, The Book of Eli, Death Note) and Nick Chuba (The Girl from Plainville). According to the press notes, the trio spent over two years composing the music for this release, which makes sense when you hear it. The music blends traditional Japanese instruments from the time period with electronic sounds and manipulation that are very 21st century. It’s an intriguing and fascinating soundscape that really fits the look and feel of the show, and it makes for great music in your listening area, whether you have it on in the background or you’re sitting and drinking it in. With eight tracks on each side, this is a pretty lengthy collection of music, and while it might not represent every musical cue in the show, it does present the majority of its major themes.
The Packaging: This single-disc vinyl release features exclusive artwork by award-winning illustrator Yuko Shimizu, plus an 8-page booklet that includes a forward by co-composer Leopold Ross. The Shogun original soundtrack is available on Mutant’s webstore at: madebymutant.com.
The Specs:
- Shogun – Original Soundtrack
- Music by Atticus Ross, Leopold Ross and Nick Chuba
- Artwork by Yuko Shimizu
- Pressed on 140gm Crimson Sky Vinyl
- MSRP: $35
The Wrap-Up: I am in love with Mutant’s vinyl releases so far. This is the second one I’ve reviewed, and both have featured stunning music, impeccable packaging, and nice extras such as the booklet in this release that give you further insight into the music and show. If you are a fan of the Shogun miniseries, I can’t recommend this soundtrack release enough.
Cruel Jaws: A Novelization
The Book: Another company I’m a huge fan of is Severin Films, who has been making inroads as one of the top home video distributors for niche and cult classic films. Recently they announced their new partnership with genre publisher Encyclopocalypse Publications to “co-produce original novels, movie novelizations and resurrected horror paperbacks tied to and inspired by Severin’s expansive catalog of genre classics.” While Encyclopocalypse Publications has previously published a couple dozen other books, Cruel Jaws: The Novelization marks the first co-publication between the two entities, and it is notated by the “001” on the spine of this new book. The book is written by Brad Carter and is a novelization (and great improvement on) Cruel Jaws, a 1995 Italian sharksploitation movie that is, in a word (or two), not great. The film itself is a B-movie extravaganza, filled with bad acting, even worse writing, non-existent editing, faulty sound, and almost all of the shark footage recycled from previous films. There are even bits of John William’s Star Wars score mixed into the music; and no, I’m not kidding! This new novelization takes the Cruel Jaws storyline – which is effectively Jaws 3 all over again, minus the submarines – and expands it into a pulpy novel. The movie itself is so slim on plot and character it’s non-existent; Cruel Jaws the book fleshes it all out and gives us more beefed-up shark attacks, more tantalizing sex scenes, and more glimpses into the characters’ motivations. It’s a fast read, as it really is a pulpy novel designed to titillate and thrill, and overall I found it to be a lot of fun. There are a few decisions I didn’t entirely agree with, though. I get why the book upped the ante in terms of sex and action, but turning the film’s lead — clean cut marine expert Billy — into a coke-snorting loser who’s only with his girlfriend until a better one comes along feels a little unnecessary.
The Specs: Cruel Jaws: The Novelization is available in mass market and trade editions, both priced at $16.99, from all major online book retailers as well as encyclopocalypse.com. I received the mass market edition and I do like the fact that it feels like a book I would have read in the 1980s, but the print is definitely a little on the small side. My reading glasses got some use with this one. Each edition features new cover art and photos from the film, along with an all-new foreword by Sharksploitation: The Documentary director Stephen Scarlata. Also, every paperback order sold through encyclopocalypse.com comes with a free digital copy.
Author: Brad Carter
SRP: $16.99
Page count: 336
Dimensions: 4.12 x 0.84 x 6.75 inches (Mass Market) / 5 x 8 (Trade)
The Wrap-Up: Cruel Jaws is a fun read, and since most people have never seen (or even heard of) the movie, it’s pretty much like reading an all-new story. It doesn’t compare to Peter Benchley’s Jaws novel, but it’s clearly not trying to. If you’re looking for a fast-paced and not entirely serious thriller read, Cruel Jaws should be right up your alley.
Terror Firma
The Movie: Terror Firma marks the debut feature film from writer-director Jake MacPherson, who’s been active in the music video and short film production world for a while now. In this new film, Lola and Louis are an estranged brother and sister who end up holing up in Louis’s apartment when the city of Los Angeles is mysteriously shut down for unknown reasons. Making an already tense situation more tense is Louis’s roommate, Cage, who is an oddball who clearly has an eye for Lola. When a government-provided food box is delivered, Lola discovers a seed packet in it and plants it. So far, so interesting. But then the film gets weird. The seed opens up a hole in the ground that produces an addictive jelly, and Louis soon disappears, seemingly into another dimension and communicating via the plant. And this is where the film started to lose me. It’s not hard to see the allegory about the COVID-19 lockdown that the film is portraying, but it gets way too trippy and ethereal for my tastes. The second half of the film is largely like what I imagine an acid trip is like, filled with weird and surreal imagery rather than concrete plot lines. I think there’s an audience out there for this film, but I’m not it.
The Special Features:
This disc marks the first single-film release of Dark Arts Entertainment, and it’s not bad from a bonus features standpoint. There is a Director’s Commentary for the film, as well as an Extended Director’s Cut of the movie, if that interests you. There’s also a behind-the-scenes photo gallery and the film’s trailer.
Digital Copy Included?: No
The Wrap-Up: Terror Firma wasn’t quite my cup of tea despite the promise it showed early on; if it had been less esoteric and more concrete I probably would have liked it more, but you might find it for you than I did.
