Now that the new year is here, it looks like the studios are back to releasing big titles on home video. This week, we’ve got a gripping drug war thriller, a drama based on real life wirewalker Philippe Petit, and the second season of HBO’s anthology series True Detective to lead things off. Read on for details and the rest of the list:
Emily Blunt stars in Denis Villeneuve’s Certified Fresh thriller as a tough, no-nonsense FBI agent who joins a Federal task force charged with taking on the drug cartels and soon discovers that the team leader (Josh Brolin) and his mysterious partner (Benicio Del Toro) may have a hidden agenda. Extras include a profile of the three stars and extended pieces about the score, visual design, and origins of the film.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars in Robert Zemeckis’ Certified Fresh retelling of Philippe Petit’s high-wire walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center in 1974. Bonus features include deleted scenes, Gordon-Levitt’s wirewalking preparation for the role, a look at how the walk itself was technically achieved on film, and more.
Peter Sarsgaard stars in this Certified Fresh period drama about psychologist Stanley Milgram and his controversial “obedience experiments” at Yale University during the 1960s. No information is currently available on special features.
A festival favorite, this New Zealand-based tongue-in-cheek gorefest is the tale of teenage metalheads whose garage band unleashes a plague of carnage upon their sleepy suburban community. The disc comes with a commentary track and a music video.
Mark Ruffalo and Zoe Saldana star in this Certified Fresh drama about a man suffering from bipolar disorder who attempts to rebuild his relationship with his family. Extras include a cast and crew Q&A from the LA Film Festival, deleted scenes, and a commentary track.
M. Night Shyamalan’s return to suspense cinema revolves around a brother and sister who are sent to spend some time with their increasingly odd — and increasingly frightening — grandparents. Bonus features include a making-of featurette, deleted scenes, and an alternate ending.
Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie star in a comedy about two philanderers who reconnect years after a one-night stand and find solace in each other. This film is only available on DVD at the moment, and no info on special features is available (it may not have any), but a Blu-ray release is probably forthcoming.
This fairly self-explanatory horror-comedy centers on a trio of boy scouts who come to the rescue when their town is overrun by the undead. No special features are listed for this release.
Eli Roth’s gory terror-fest follows a group of idealistic coeds who venture into the Peruvian jungle to protest deforestation, only to be captured and brutalized by a tribe of natives who think they’re there for quite the opposite reason. Bonus features include a commentary track and an extensive photo gallery.
This horror film centers on a girl who moves in with her boyfriend, a squatter in a condemned building in Manhattan. When a noxious virus breaks out, the other residents of the building are transformed into bloodthirsty killers, and the couple must fight to survive.
The second season of HBO’s successful anthology series — which centered on a corrupt land deal gone wrong in Southern California — met with a divided audience response but earned solid reviews from critics. Take it home and judge for yourself.
And lastly, from the Criterion Collection, we have a two-film set of Japanese period revenge thrillers Lady Snowblood (which partially inspired Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill films) and its sequel, Lady Snowblood: Love Song of Vengeance. Extras include a new interview with the author of the original manga (Kazuo Koike) and updated subtitles.
