New on DVD: July 3

PICK OF THE WEEK

God Bless America

Writer/director Bobcat Goldthwait continues to create dark character studies (Father of the Year) with this black comedy about a man (Joel Murray, brother of Bill) who upon discovering his has a brain tumour, goes on a cross-country killing spree with an idolizing teenager (Tara Lynn Barr) ridding the world of rude people and reality TV stars. This is a violent, funny and controversial film with a message and is sure to become a cult classic.

DVDs:

Seeking Justice

After his wife (January Jones of Mad Men) is assaulted, an English teacher named Will (Nicolas Cage) is approached by a mysterious man (Guy Pearce) who offers to find and punish the man who perpetrated the attack. All he wants in return is for is a favour from Will in the future. Will agrees, but some months later when he is called on to dish out some vengeance in return, things may not seem as they are. (Alliance)

Jesus Henry Christ

Toni Collette continues her career path of playing offbeat characters with this unusual comedy from writer-director Dennis Lee. Here she plays Patricia Herman, a feminist who decides to have a baby through in-vitro fertilization: the offspring of this turns out to be Henry (Jason Spevack). When Jason, who has a photographic memory and can recall every moment of his life since conception, turns 10, he feels the need to go out into the world and find the sperm donor that is his birth father.

The Hunter

Willem Dafoe stars in this unusual hybrid of art film and thriller as a trained mercenary whose latest job requires him to trek into the remote Tasmanian wilderness to try and find the last Tasmanian tiger, who most believe is extinct. But, it’s his brushes with the locals – both dangerous and accepting – that cause problems with his mission. (eOne)

Mac & Devin Go To High School

Snoop Dogg stars as Mac in this so-called comedy as a high school senior (emphasis on the word “high”) who has been held back about a dozen years. When studious Devin (Wiz Khalifa) arrives there as a new student, Mac makes it his job to keep the boy constantly high. (Anchor Bay)

Beyond

When a little girl goes missing from her home in a small Alaskan town, a veteran detective (Jon Voight) finds his investigation hampered by the involvement of a “psychic” radio talk show host (Pretty Little Liars’ Julian Morris) in this supernatural thriller. (Anchor Bay)

The American Dream

Before two young soldiers (Jamil Walker Smith and Malcolm Goodwin) are shipped overseas to Afghanistan, they chronicle their everyday lives with a video camera in this uplifting drama. (Image)

Some Guy Who Kills People

Kevin Corrigan (Fringe) stars in this gory black comedy about a psychopathic serial killer with a heart of gold. Former mental patient Kenny (Corrigan) moves back in with his mother (Karen Black) and gets a job at an ice cream shop, but the pressures of his life and his vengeful thoughts begin to be too much for him. (Image)

WWE 2012: Over the Limit

Fans of the more modern-day wrestling scene (see below for the No Holds Barred review, retro fans) should grab this release of the 2012 pay-per-view event which featured matches pitting Raw and Smackdown stars like John Cena, Randy Orton, The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, Edge, Sheamus against each other in battle. (eOne)

RE-ISSUES:

Barbarella

Jane Fonda stars in this camp sci-fi cult classic from 1968 that is probably more famous for the costumes Fonda wears and as the inspiration for the name of a 1980s band than as a film. The story, in a nutshell, is Barbarella (Fonda) is ordered by the President to go to track down a rogue scientist named Durand Durand (Milo O’Shea) who has developed a controversial new weapon. It’s being released on blu-ray for the first time, but aside from a theatrical trailer, there are no extras. (Paramount)

Home on the Range
Treasure Planet: 10th Anniversary Edition

These two lesser-known animated Disney films – one about a ragtag group of farm animals that rise up to save their little Patch of Heaven farm from a greedy land developer and the other a futuristic take on Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island about a boy (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) travelling the universe aboard a spaceship- get the full blu-ray combo re-release treatment this week. (Disney)

The Entity

Barbara Hershey stars in this 1982 supernatural thriller (available on blu-ray for the first time) about a woman who after being attacked in her home by an unseen presence calls upon parapsychologists to help her. (Anchor Bay)

No Holds Barred

This 1989 film was ahead of its time with the premise of a wrestler named Rip (Hulk Hogan) who is set up to battle a monstrous rival (Tiny Lister) in a (here comes the title) no holds barred match similar to today’s UFC fights. While this would be a forgettable film for most people, it’s been long-awaited for many who grew up during the glory days of the WWF and was worth a small fortune on VHS (if you could find one). (eOne)

TV ON DVD

George Gently: Series 4

This gritty British mystery series stars Martin Shaw as Inspector George Gently and Lee Ingleby as DS Bacchus. The fourth season of this series (which aired last year) consists of two feature-length episodes one involving a up-and-coming celebrity and the other consisting of murder that may have been covered up by the police. (Acorn)

Mannix: The Seventh Season

This 6-disc set features all 24 action-packed episodes from this series seventh season. Mike Connors stars as private detective Joe Mannix, a tough-as-nails guy who can fight, shoot and race the worst criminals that society can throw at him in this gritty TV series from the 1970s. It’s always a treat to spot the familiar faces in these old series and this set is full of them including Sam Elliott, Frank Langella, Linda Evans, Pernell Roberts and others. (Paramount)

Midsomer Murders: Set 20

This 4-DVD set contains the final adventures of DCI Tom Barnaby (John Nettles), who within these four feature-length episodes passes the baton on to his cousin John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon). (Acorn)

Streets of San Francisco: Season 3

There’s something about the on-location filming of 1970s series like this one that break it apart from the pack. Seeing the San Francisco of the day and all its familiar landmarks is refreshing.

Another thing that stands it above they sometimes clichéd plots are the performances of the two lead actors – Karl Malden and Michael Douglas. Malden brings his New York theatre training he had learned in the early 1950s alongside people like Marlon Brando and makes it a nice accompaniment to Douglas’ newer methods.

Released in two volumes, this combined 6-disc set contains all 23 episodes with great guest stars including Leslie Nielsen, Vic Morrow, Brenda Vaccaro and many more. (Paramount)

Dynasty: The Sixth Season, Vol. One and Two

Like Streets of San Francisco, Paramount has chosen to release this season in two volumes, but on the same day. Why not just release one 6-disc set, we’ll never know? John Forsythe, Joan Collins and Linda Evans star in this popular prime-time soap opera in which ultra-rich families battle each other in the bedrooms and boardrooms of Denver, Colorado. These sets contain all 30 episodes (including the 2-hour season finale). (Paramount)