This week brings yet another meager selection of new titles available on home video, including a so-so animated family film and Russell Crowe’s directorial debut. That said, however, we do still have a few notable choices for those willing to take some chances; they include an acclaimed drama starring Viggo Mortensen and an international cast, an unusual adventure from Hungary, and a couple of Lee Marvin films. Read on for details:
Jim Parsons voices an alien named Oh, whose species amicably takes over the Earth. When he makes a big mistake and becomes a fugitive himself, he ends up meeting a tween named Tip (Rihanna) and helps her locate her missing mother. Home includes a lot of short extras for the kids, including a dance-along video, music clips, and interactive dress-up ideas, as well as deleted scenes and a series of shorts.
Russell Crowe stars in his own directorial debut as an Australian farmer who travels to Turkey to retrieve the bodies of his three sons, who served in the Battle of Gallipoli and are presumed dead. The disc contains just two special features: a making-of featurette and a piece on the Battle of Gallipoli.
Viggo Mortensen stars in this historical drama with some fantastical elements. During the 1880s, a Danish captain in Argentina sets out to locate his daughter, who has gone missing. Extras include a short film by director Lisandro Alonso, a press conference from the NY Film Festival, and a companion booklet.
This Certified Fresh Hungarian drama centers on a dog named Hagen, who is abandoned by his master’s father and subsequently begins a trek home, inciting a seemingly organized mongrel revolt in the process. Special features include a behind-the-scenes doc and interviews with both writer/director Kornél Mundruczó and the film’s animal coordinator.
Justin Long and Emmy Rossum headline this star-crossed love story that takes place over six years, directed by Sam Esmail (creator and head writer for recent TV hit Mr. Robot). This film is available on DVD.
In the first of two Lee Marvin movies to hit Blu-ray this week, Marvin and Jack Palance are a couple of cowhands in the waning days of the Old West, trying to adapt to a shifting world. The only special feature included is a theatrical trailer, but it’s the first time the film has found its way to Blu-ray.
Anthony Edwards and Mare Winningham star in this apocalyptic thriller about a man who intercepts a misdialed phone call that portends nuclear war and attempts to rescue the woman he loves. This film is also available on Blu-ray for the first time, though it contains no bonus features.
Lastly, in the second Lee Marvin film available, Marvin stars alongside Gene Hackman in this crime thriller as a mob enforcer sent to collect from a meatpacker who refuses to pay. Again, no special features to speak of except for the theatrical trailer.
