Review Category: DVD/Blu Ray

FM / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: JOHN A ALONZO / SCREENPLAY: EZRA SACKS / STARRING: MICHAEL BRANDON, EILEEN BRENNAN, ALEX KARRAS, CLEAVON LITTLE / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Released in 1978 as punk was threatening to kill off the soft rock dinosaurs of the 1970s, FM inhabits a world where punk may as well not exist. That’s not to say that the world of this AOR radio station is in any way fantastic, more that punk didn’t quite make the in-roads that musical historians might have you believe. No, the world of Los Angeles’ finest, Q-SKY, and its cast of eccentric DJs, is very typical of the musical world of 1978, and the film is all the better for that.

The basic story behind FM is a familiar, comfortable one; a popular radio station is pressured by its corporate owners to compromise on its programming, leading to a revolt by its staff and fans. The spectre of The Man loomed large over all popular culture after the counter-culture revolution of the 1960s, and while Q-SKY specialises in the largely risk-free soft rock of the era, that corporate interference will always rankle with creative types.

The battle is set, then, between Q-SKY’s lead programmer and star DJ, Jeff Dugan (ably played by Dempsey & Makepiece’s Michael Brandon), and the regional sales manager sent to increase the station’s revenues by running hokey ads for the military. Waiting in the wings is Jeff’s counterpart at rival station KLAX, who is all too willing to take the corporate dollar…

FM’s core strength is in its ensemble cast, with Martin Mull making his debut as the womanising Eric Swann (who does a “Tony Blackburn” years before the British DJ ever did) and M*A*S*H’s Eilenn Brennan as Mother, a veteran late night record-spinner, a particular delight. Brandon’s Dugan is a likeable lead, and carries the movie’s inertia well; by the end of the first reel, you’re rooting for him to keep Q-SKY the way it is, and the way its listeners like it.

FM was not terribly well-received when it was released, with poor reviews across the board, but time has been kind and there’s a certain comfort in retreating to the much simpler times FM depicts. There was also criticism for its soundtrack, but for fans of soft rock and AOR (album-oriented rock), and the genre which has recently been christened “yacht rock”, it’s a delight, with live performances from Jimmy Buffet, Linda Ronstadt, and REO Speedwagon as well as copious amounts of Steely Dan, Eagles, Boston, Foreigner and Tom Petty, who also makes a cameo in the movie. The Arrow Blu-ray release comes with a good slice of extras, and of most value to fans of the music is a journey through the film’s soundtrack with music critic Glenn Kenny.

There was nothing groundbreaking about FM when it was released, and there’s nothing life-changing about it now. What it is, is 104 minutes of comedy and pathos, and sticking it to The Man. For fans of the music featured, and fans of movies of its particular type (Roller Boogie, anyone?), it’s a treat, and God knows we all need one of those every now and then.

Extras: No Static At All, a newly filmed interview with Michael Brandon; Radio Chaos, a newly filmed interview with screenwriter Ezra Sacks; The Spirit of Radio, a newly filmed video appreciation of the FM soundtrack by film and music critic Glenn Kenny; image gallery; original trailers; reversible sleeve

USED CARS / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: ROBERT ZEMECKIS / SCREENPLAY: ROBERT ZEMECKIS, BOB GALE / STARRING: KURT RUSSELL, JACK WARDEN, GERRIT GRAHAM, DEBORAH HARMON / RELEASE DATE: 12TH AUGUST

The feuding Fuchs brothers (both played by Warden) have car sales lots on opposite sides of the road. Whereas Roy runs a respectable establishment, the Mayor is about to green-light a new road going straight through his showroom. Roy’s brother, Luke, owns the other car lot, which sells cars of dubious quality, enabled by his best salesman, Rudy (Russell), and Roy wants to take over the land so he can move over the road and have the biggest car sales lot in the area. Roy is also not against using underhand tactics to get his way…

When one of his plots ends up with Luke dying from a heart attack, Rudy and his pals, knowing that Roy can take over the lot if Luke’s death is confirmed, cover it up and try to carry on usual. While all this is going on, Rudy is also trying to get enough capital together to run for State Senator and, to confuse matters further, Luke’s daughter, Barbara, suddenly turns up out of the blue. Rudy tries to keep Luke’s death a secret while he woos her, but the ruse doesn’t last long and Barbara fires him when she finds out. Barbara is then stitched up by Roy and taken to court to prove she has as many cars as she claims in a commercial – only for Rudy to and a bunch of drivers-ed students to swoop in and save the day.

Most early 80s comedies have dated badly, mostly because of crude humour, but Used Cars still shows itself to be harmless enough, which is perhaps not that surprising considering the involvement of Zemeckis and Gale. Although the comedy value of Luke’s corpse is not taken to Weekend at Bernie’s levels, there are more than enough moments on show to make you smirk, many involving one of the most lovable dogs on screen. Russell was still honing his skills here, but manages to make Rudy a fast-talking loveable rogue rather than the slimy womanising scumbag that he could so easily have been. The supporting cast all do their jobs well and, as a result, although Used Cars doesn’t have that total new car smell, it does have an aura of an older classic that has a few miles left on the clock. It’s a reliable old runner and well worth a test drive.

THE HOLE IN THE GROUND / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: LEE CRONIN / SCREENPLAY: LEE CRONIN, STEPHEN SHIELDS / STARRING: SEANA KERSLAKE, JAMES QUINN MARKEY, KATI OUTINEN, JAMES COSMO / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

In this smouldering atmospheric Irish thriller, Sarah (Kerslake) is fleeing an abusive relationship and trying to build a new life on the edge of a rural backwoods town with her young son Chris (Markey). But it seems that Sarah’s past won’t leave her alone when Chris briefly goes missing and returns from a visit to a strange and inexplicable sinkhole in the surrounding forest oddly changed. His behaviour seems off-kilter and Sarah begins to wonder if the boy who has come back is really her son at all…

If you like your mystery movies steeped in metaphor and wreathed in ambiguity then The Hole in the Ground has got your name all over it. Sarah is clearly a psychologically-damaged young woman battling against the demons in her past (she’s on medication to help her deal with her ongoing distress) to create a better future for herself and her son. The film hides its true story – Sarah’s story – under what presents as a hokey, clichéd tale of a possessed / replaced child, and we’re initially asked to follow Sarah as her suspicions grow and her sense of dread mounts.

Chris’ behaviour becomes ever more extreme and disturbing and yet it soon becomes apparent that what we’re seeing might not quite be reflecting Sarah’s truth. In fact, how much of what we are seeing is actually happening at all; how much of this is something feverish and terrible dreamed up by Sarah’s subconscious to protect her from the memories of her own past?  The Hole in the Ground is in no hurry to answer any of the questions it poses – but a final sequence set in some subterranean nightmare world inhabited by creatures not entirely dissimilar to the horrors in Neil Marshall’s The Descent tends to lead us to conclude that Sarah is very disturbed indeed.

Despite the slight frustration engendered by a film which resolutely refuses to make sense – or at least to offer easy, convenient, box-ticking explanations – within its own world, The Hole in the Ground is strangely haunting, a film which will sit somewhere in the back of your mind long after you’ve watched it. The off-the-grid setting gives the film an air of unease and unearthliness, and immersive, absorbing performances by Kerslake and Markey, along with a powerful supporting role from genre veteran James Cosmo, combine to add to the film’s quirkiness and sense of dislocation.

Director / co-writer Cronin is clearly at home with the tropes of the genre which he manipulates and subverts with an ease we might not expect of a first time feature filmmaker. The Hole in the Ground’s refusal to play by the rules might infuriate those looking for a more traditional, linear narrative but the film clearly delights in telling an entirely different story from the one we might have been expecting. If it doesn’t always touch the bases it’s aiming for and can occasionally be a little too oblique for its own good, it’s still worth a look if only to see a promising and savvy new director taking his first steps into what could well become a long and accomplished career in a genre he obviously has a massive affinity towards.

ALITA: BATTLE ANGEL / CERT: 12 / DIRECTOR: ROBERT RODRIGUEZ / SCREENPLAY: JAMES CAMERON, LAETA KALOGRIDIS / STARRING: ROSA SALAZAR, CHRISTOPH WALTZ, JENNIFER CONNELLY, KEEAN JOHNSON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

Based on the 90s manga “Gunnm” by Yukito Kishiro, Alita: Battle Angel is the story of a cyborg found in a scrapyard discovering who she truly is and what place she has in the world.

Directed by visionary filmmaker Robert Rodriguez and produced by movie legends James Cameron and Jon Landau, Alita is a passion project that is over 20 years in the making. Rosa Salazar stars as the titular hero who, after being discovered and rebuilt by Dr Ido (Christoph Waltz), sets off on an emotional journey that will have her encounter hunter-warriors, the crazy sport of motorball and her first love Hugo all whilst trying to understand who she truly is.

Rodriguez has done a superb job crafting a truly breathtaking world by bringing to life the world of Alita straight from the pages of Kishiro-san’s work. The special effects are like none you have ever seen and Alita herself is an absolute marvel. Salazar’s performance shines through the entire CGI face as is easily one of the most human performances you will see all year.

The Iron City in which Alita’s story takes place is as much of a character as any of the humans or cyborgs that walk the streets. Every corner of the city feels alive and vibrant and fully pulls the audience into the moment. The action set-pieces, including an incredibly thrilling motorball sequence in the second half of the film, will have you on the edge of your seat from start to finish.

Alita: Battle Angel does a frankly wonderful job at adapting a manga which is, as you may know, something that is very hit and miss especially in recent memory – this honestly feels like the pages of the source material have been vividly brought to life on the big screen. Even though the ending may be considered “sequel bait”, the fact that the world of Alita has such rich material and countless future stories to tell is nothing but exciting for the future of, which is hopefully going to become a franchise.

For new and old fans alike, Alita: Battle Angel hits all of the right notes from powerful performances and stunning action to breathtaking visuals – it’s most certainly a sci-fi blockbuster that will definitely develop a cult following and is proof that taking the right care and attention with such a beloved source material can do wonders for movie adaptations.

Extras:

The Blu-Ray version of Alita: Battle Angel comes with over two hours of fantastic bonus features which enhance the experience of the world of Alita. For fans of the manga or new fans because of the movie, these extras are not to be missed!

ALITA’S WORLD (The Fall [5:05], Iron City [3:19], What It Means to Be A Cyborg [2:28], Rules of the Game [2:52]) – An animated history of the world of Alita: Battle Angel. A great addition for viewers who want to gather more information on how the world and character came to be as they are in the movie.

FROM MANGA TO SCREEN [20:47] – Behind-the-scenes interviews with Director Robert Rodriguez, Producers James Cameron & Jon Landau, Rosa Salazar and Alita creator Yukito Kishiro on the history of how Alita was brought to life from the books onto the big screen.

EVOLUTION OF ALITA [19:43] – Behind-the-scenes interviews with cast and crew on how they brought Alita to life. Also includes in-depth interview with Rosa Salazar on her training regime for the role and includes some footage from her audition and screen tests when cast as Alita.

MOTORBALL [6:02] – A look at the sport of Motorball that is straight out of the Manga.

LONDON SCREENING Q&A [26:38] – A Q&A with Director Robert Rodriguez, Producers James Cameron & Jon Landau, Rosa Salazar, Christoph Waltz and Jennifer Connelly that was screened before the London Fan Screening at Cineworld Leicester Square.

10 MINUTE COOKING SCHOOL: CHOCOLATE [5:28] – A fun recipe for Chocolate presented and narrated by Director Robert Rodriguez.

2005 ART COMPILATION (2019) [14:20] – A slideshow of the original concept art reel by James Cameron and his team in 2005.

SCENE DECONSTRUCTION – A selection of four scenes in which you, the viewer, can watch them during one of three stages of production – the original (with no CGI), the animation stage (with animated models and minimal working CGI) and the Final cut (with all CGI 100% implemented).

Alita: Battle Angel is out now on 4K, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital Download.

WONDER PARK / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR: DYLAN BROWN / SCREENPLAY: JOSH APPELBAUM, ANDRE NEMEC / STARRING: SOFIA MALI, JENNIFER GARNER, KEN HUDSON CAMPBELL / RELEASE DATE: 19TH AUGUST

As children, our imaginations are limitless. We can create anything in our heads and it is only the fact that we all grow up that halts our ability to do that as life gets in the way.

June has a great relationship with her mum, as they play and imagine, working together to create the eponymous theme park in both reality – via models and artwork – and in the fantastical realm. In fantasy, Wonder Park is run by a small group of animals: Peanut the chimpanzee, Greta thewarthog, and Boomer the bear, among others. All is great, until June’s mum gets very sick and has to go away for treatment. June understandably is worried and loses her childhood innocence, packing Wonder Park away, much to her family’s concern.

One day, June is sent to camp, but decides that her father can’t look after himself and so she tries to return home, ending up lost in the woods only to stumble on a life-sized and decidedly corporeal Wonder Park. The only problem is that it has been overrun by chimpanzombies, and the host characters are just trying to survive as the park is picked apart bit by bit by the stuffed invaders. It’s up to June to realise that the ability to save the day was in her all along.

This kind of story has been done so many times, and much better, by Disney as well as others. Here we have a familiar tale of a child realising her ability to do things that she doesn’t think she can do by embracing her childhood. However, the film is incredibly dark in tone. June’s mother’s illness is almost sidelined and she is quickly carted off screen, yet the spectre of death literally floats above the rest of the running time via storm clouds over the park. Although it’s an understandable analogy, there are far too few moments of brevity and a real lack of laugh out loud humour. If you can’t find fun and humour in a world of an imaginary theme park run by animals that has been built by a child, where can you expect to find it?

Disney / Pixar are still kings of the animated movie, and this release from Nickelodeon Movies doesn’t even come close to making a dent in the status quo.

PET SEMATARY / CERT: 15 / DIRECTOR: KEVIN KOLSCH, DENNIS WIDMEYER / SCREENPLAY: MATT GREENBERG / STARRING: JASON CLARKE, AMY SIEMETZ, JOHN LITHGOW / RELEASE DATE: 29TH JULY

Despite some sniffy reviews on its cinema release, this new version of Stephen King’s most disturbing book is a pretty decent home watch.

The Creed family, Dad Louis, Mum Rachael, daughter Ellie and toddler Gage move from busy Boston to a more sedate, rural life. But the land that comes with their new home contains on old pet cemetery, just beyond which lies an ancient burial ground where the soil has ‘gone sour’ with the power to resurrect those dead pets and bring them back from the grave.But not quite as they were. They come back smelly, unaffectionate, cruel.

Louis finds this out when Ellie’s’s beloved cat Church gets killed by one of the massive trucks that hurtle down their road, and friendly old timer, neighbour Jud takes Louis on a night-time misty walk to a place that’s not meant for the living. But it’s another, much more upsetting accident which will bring the true horror of the Pet Sematary home.

On the plus side, this version of Pet Sematary remains pretty faithful to the tone of King’s novel. It centres on grief, retaining the feeling of a man and woman torn apart by loss. It even manages to bring the husband and wife struggle between faith and science in. Its looks great too and is certainly a better staged film than the 1983 version.The performances are terrific throughout, with Jason Clarke, Amy Seimetz, John Lithgow and an excellent Jeté Laurence in the pivotal role of Ellie.

Talking of whom… King said when he wrote the novel that he wanted to write about the scariest thing he could imagine, and that was the death of his children. Much criticism has been labelled at the film for the major change from the source novel and original film, in terms of who exactly gets buried in that unhallowed ground. But it works because it throws you, confounds your expectation and is nicely set up. It’s a dark film – child death, infant zombies, grief, mourning and loss – and it doesn’t shy away from these unpleasant themes.

But, as the extras show, there’s one major flaw. The ‘alternative ending’ is actually the one from the novel and it’s SO much better than the revised one the film makers decided to opt for. There’s a reason King is considered a master story-teller and the film’s climax is a change too far.

Other extras include the usual deleted scenes but Beyond the Deadfall is made up of four mini docs which cover the making of the film and are and interesting watch.

Just make sure you put the cat out before you start watching it.

Extras: Alternate Ending, Deleted and Extended Scenes, Night Terrors – Family Haunting Visions, The Tale of Timmy Baterman, Beyond the Deadfall: Chapter One: Resurrection – Directors, screenwriters, and cast discuss bringing this classic back to life, Chapter Two: The Final Resting Place – a deeper look into finding the right location for the terror to unfold, Chapter Three: The Road to Sorrow – inside the film’s tragic themes and creating the iconic cat “Church”, Chapter Four: Death Comes home – unearth the creepy elements behind the climax and final scenes of the film

THE KID WHO WOULD BE KING / CERT: PG / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JOE CORNISH / STARRING: LOUIS ASHBOURNE SERKIS, DENISE GOUGH, DEAN CHAUMOO, TOM TAYLOR / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW

The legends of King Arthur, Excalibur and so forth have been adapted many times in some form or another. Some have been completely faithful adaptations, some have been parodies, and sometimes they utilised the most iconic elements to create completely different stories entirely. Even Doctor Who had a story back in 1989 that revolved around the Arthurian legends. Having made a name for himself as a filmmaker with Attack the Block, director/writer Joe Cornish has now taken upon himself to take the most iconic characters and elements from Arthurian lore and turn them into something fresh and exciting – The Kid Who Would Be King, a story about a kid obtaining Excalibur and, aided by his band of misfits, including Merlin, takes on the sorceress, Morgana.

Despite receiving positive praise, the film has been officially declared a box office bomb, especially after performing pretty disastrously in the US, yet Joe Cornish’s cute and charming fantasy adventure flick still stands tall. Like Attack the Block, the film focuses primarily on the younger generation and places them as the central protagonists, having them start out in a troubled place but, by the end, they become a brave and heroic unit. Cornish put his faith in the youths, and the results speak wonders, telling a tale of outsiders that go on a journey, putting aside their personal differences, and are willing to work alongside each other to achieve a common purpose that’ll eventually reach a catharsis between them. Cornish is clearly aiming at the young audience here, and this film provides a good moral lesson for kids while also delivering on the fantasy spectacle with whizzo CGI and special effects.

Certain descriptions of the characters’ personalities and traits are perhaps laid out too thick and could have benefited a bit more from the classic ‘show, don’t tell’ approach, but it isn’t embarrassing to watch, and it’s all handled in a sentimental and big-hearted manner. The young talent involved give very charming performances, not least Angus Imrie as the young incarnation of Merlin (sharing a dual role with Sir Patrick Stewart), delivering a zany, manic quality that’s incredibly fun to watch and, frankly, this guy would make a very good future Doctor in Doctor Who. The extremely talented Rebecca Ferguson gets relegated to a mere 10-15 minutes of screentime as the villainous Morgana, but she’s deliciously OTT whenever she’s on screen.

The Kid Who Would Be King is a charming delight of a film that knows what it is, is unashamed about it, and wears its heart on its sleeve. Joe Cornish understands his audience, and this film just about hits all the right marks for being a fun, entertaining fantasy adventure flick that families can easily enjoy. Not a perfect film by any means, but a fun one nevertheless.

US / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR & SCREENPLAY: JORDAN PEELE / STARRING: LUPITA NYONG’O, WINSTON DUKE, ELISABETH MOSS  / RELEASE DATE: 29TH JULY

2017’s Get Out was an unexpected hit, giving writer and director Jordan Peele a much-deserved Oscar and the attention of Hollywood on his own terms, recently becoming the frontman of the new adaptation of The Twilight Zone. Inbetween, we saw the release of Us, another horror which puts American society under the microscope, which is coming to DVD and Blu-Ray later this month.

Us begins with Adelaide, a child who goes through a traumatic experience at the local fair ground. We then fast forward to Adelaide as an adult (Lupita Nyong’o) who returns to the holiday home which was close by to the events of her childhood. However, despite husband Gabe’s (Winston Duke) reassurances, Adelaide feels something is not right; this is then realised when she and her family are taken hostage by four doppelgangers of her own family, known as the Tethered. However, this shock revelation is just the tip of a very twisted iceberg.

What strikes a chord with Us is the strength of its cast; Nyong’o, Duke and the younger performers, Shahadi Wright Joseph & Evan Alex, switch seamlessly between the victims and their Tethered doppelgangers. Meanwhile, with regards to the narrative, Us shows themes that resonate across modern America today: religion, paranoia (which it shares with Get Out) as well as the obsession with conspiracy theories that seems to grow across the US via the internet. With that said, Us has some issues with pace in that some of the chase scenes do go on a tad too long. Nevertheless, Us delivers a strong cast with a storyline that utilises the everyday horrors of modern America. The DVD is also packed with lots of “Making Of” features which gives us more insight into the conception of the film.