Anthropocene And The Freshmen On DVD From Icarus Films This Comping Jan. 21

Icarus Films will be teaming up with Bullfrog Films to celebrate the New Year with the Jan. 21 DVD debut of the documentary filmmaker Steve Bradshaw’s Anthropocene.

Coined by Nobel laureate Paul Crutzen (Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1995), the arrival of the term “Anthropocene” in scientific circles argues that our notion of nature is quickly becoming out of date.   They argue that humanity forms nature in this new epoch and that the Holocene period is now in transition.

Steve Bradshaw (The Real Life on Mars, The Perfect Famine) followed the 2013/2014 HKW studies with this documentary film.   For some 20 years Bradshaw had been working with the BBC as a reporter and frontline radio documentary producer with such far-ranging subjects as genocide in Rwanda, the UK’s health record, Parliamentary lobbying and the debate on global warming.   

Anthropocene examines the issue of the planet being influenced more by mankind than nature through a series of interviews and archival footage … is it a drama, a comedy or something surreal.   The debate is joined, the outcome is now, uncertain.   

Among the presenters are Prof. Will Steffen (Climate Change Institute, Australian National University), Prof. Erle Ellis (Geography & Environmental Systems, University of Maryland), Prof. Jan Zalasiewicz (Dept of Geology, University of Leicester), Dr. Monica Berger Gonzalez (Institute for Environmental Decisions, Zurich) and Prof. John McNeill (School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University).

Also heading home on DVD on Jan. 21 from Icarus Films is the Distrib Films release of director Thomas Lilti’s The Freshmen.

This is the third film in a trilogy of movies directed by doctor-turned-filmmaker Thomas Lilti … The Freshmen joins The Country Doctor (July 25, 2017) and Hippocrates (Jan. 15, 2019) on DVD from Icarus.

With a keen eye for detail (drawing from his own medical school experiences), Lilti introduces us to students Benjamin (William Lebghil — Kiss and Tell, (Girl)Friend, C'est la Vie!), a recent high school graduate and the son of a doctor, and Antoine (four-time César Awards nominee, Vincent Lacoste, who also starred in Lilti’s Hippocrate), who failed to pass the necessary exams not once, but twice … this is third and final attempt.

They bond, for very difference reasons, and help each other — their relative strengths and weaknesses — to facedown the intense competition (close to 400 fellow students) and the harsh and seemingly relentless class load.   This yields a film that becomes one part comedy (some really terrific bits) and one part a melancholy tale (a certain sadness creeps in … the recognition that this is just the first hurdle and more awaits once the examination is conquered).

A solid box office drama in France, The Freshmen will be a welcome arrival on DVD in the New Year for those cinephiles looking something beyond the noise the current crop of domestic theatrical blockbusters.

The Freshmen is presented in French with English subtitles.

Cinema Libre Readies Blu-ray And DVD Editions Of Writer/Director Paul Kampf's Imprisoned For Release On Jan. 07

Cinema Libre announced this past week that both DVD and Blu-ray editions of writer/director Paul Kampf’s Imprisoned will be heading home on Jan. 7.

The film had an ever so brief theatrical showcase right after Labor Day and makes the move to the home entertainment packaged media marketplace with an ARR of 116 days.

Something happened years ago when Dylan (Juan Pablo Raba — The 33, 7 Days in Entebbe, Peppermint), a fisherman by trade, landed in the local prison (Imprisoned was shot in Puerto Rico and makes solid use of both El Morro and San Cristobal) for being involved in an armed robbery.

It’s now 20 something years later and the former warden, Daniel Calvin (played to perfection by Laurence Fishburne), wants revenge for the incident involving Dylan — despite having served his time — and will go to any lengths necessary to make sure that he pays the ultimate price.  There are no lines that he will not cross.

Dylan’s wife, Maria (Juana Acosta — Perfect Strangers, Anna), has a history with the warden, which we learn through a series of flashbacks.   Warden Calvin is, not to make light of it, one nasty SOB and his thirst for vengeance knows no limits … he will do whatever it takes to get justice as he sees it.

Once the frame-up takes place and Dylan finds himself wrongfully convicted, Imprisoned becomes a tick-tock race against time for Maria to prove her husband’s innocence … and with filmmaker Paul Kampf’s script there is absolutely no guarantee that there will be a happy ending.    

Bonus features include a video session with actor Edward James Olmos, a trio of deleted scenes and the featurette titled “Social Impact Filmmaking with Equitas Entertainment Partners.”

Arrow Video's Picks Feb. 04 For A New Blu-ray Edition Of Writer/Director Frank Henenlotter's Brain Damage

Arrow Video, with domestic sales and distribution support provided by MVD Entertainment Group, has a new Hi-Def Blu-ray presentation of writer/director Frank Henenlotter’s 1988 creature feature, Brain Damage, ready for genre fans to enjoy on Feb. 4.

Filmed in New York City in early 1987, Brain Damage reached theatres one year later.   The working title was Elmer the Parasite, but fans of Henenlotter’s brain-feast film know that “Elmer” is really Aylmer (Old English for famous; inspiring and the like), but Elmer will do.   At least that’s what Dr. Ackerman (Theo Barnes) and his wife, Martha (Lucille Saint-Peter), call the little brain sucker, who they’ve been feeding in their apartment when we have that first meet-the-creature moment. 

Living next door is Brian (Rick Hearst, aka: Rick Herbst … after this film he became a soap opera regular with stints on The Young and the Restless, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives and more) and the creature — make that, parasite — takes a liking to him.   A symbiotic relationship develops with Brian hauling Elmer (voiced by John Zacherle) around the city to feast on human brains, while Elmer “feeds” his host with a blue liquid (though a puncture wound in the back of his neck) that sends him on psychedelic trips.

Everything is going along swimmingly until … come on, we can’t give that away, but let’s just say that Brian’s love interest, Barbara (Jennifer Lowry … her career moment), gets a kiss to remember.

Filmmaker Frank Henenlotter had fun with his creature features — Basket Case (1, 2 and 3) and Frankenhooker — before turning his attentions to the business of Something Weird Video.   Indie horror at its best … with a sense of humor.

Bonus goodies on the Blu-ray release of Brain Damage from Arrow Video on Feb. 4 include commentary from Henenlotter, Elijah Drenner’s 2017 documentary titled Listen to the Light: The Making of Brain Damage, five featurettes — “The Effects of Brain Damage,” “Animating Elmer,” “Karen Ogle: A Look Back,” “Elmer’s Turf: The NYC Locations of Brain Damage” and “Tasty Memories: A Brain Damage Obsession — and the animated short film by Harry Chaskin titled Bygone Behemoth. 

Additionally, there is a Q&A session from the 2016 Offscreen Film Festival featuring filmmaker Frank Henenlotter.

Paramount Home Media Tabs Feb. 18 For Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series - 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook Collection

Paramount Home Media and Nickelodeon are joining forces on Feb. 18 for the Blu-ray release of the Emmy-winning Avatar: The Last Airbender – The Complete Series - 15th Anniversary Limited Edition Steelbook Collection.

This three-book collection — a nine-disc Blu-ray set — will have a limited production run of just 20,000 units.

All 54 episodes are included in this epic collection — Book One: Water (20 episodes), Book Two: Earth (18 episodes) and Book Three: Fire (16 episodes).

As to bonus goodies, there are 22 selected episode commentaries, over a dozen featurettes, short films and an interview session featuring M. Night Shyamalan.

In other release news this week from Paramount Home Media, director Martin Scorsese’s Shutter Island will be celebrating its 10^th Anniversary with a new 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Pack release on Feb. 11.

Bonus features include the previously released featurettes titled, “Behind the Shutters” and “Into the Lighthouse.” 

Bayview Entertainment Says Get Fit In The New Year With Two Fitness DVDs On Jan. 7 From Kelly Coffey-Meyer

The holidays are upon us and we all know what that means.  Five pounds, ten pounds … oh my, not 15 (what were you thinking!!!) and a long winter of trying to shed those “holiday” pounds.

No worries, Bayview Entertainment will be teaming up with fitness guru Kelly Coffey-Meyer on Jan. 7 for two new fitness DVD releases that are sure to get you pointed in the right direction (weight-wise that is).

30 Minutes to Fitness: Strong and Lean is actually two different fitness workouts and with Kelly Coffey-Meyer leading the way you know that these will be upbeat and ever so effective.   The first set works with dumbbells (and a barbell and tubing) to tone and strengthen muscle groups.   

Warmed up now?   Get ready for set number two, which focuses on a kickboxing session that not only burns calories, but helps you to tone both your arms and shoulders, but helps slim those hips as well.

Also streeting on Jan. 7 is 30 Minutes to Fitness: Cardio Sculpt Overload, which has Kelly Coffey-Meyer leading you through four different workouts.   Light dumbbells for boxing drills and a little heavier for total body “compound moves.”

As a bonus, you can set your workout session for a basic 30-minute set, or add to the session by 8, 16 and 24 extra workout minutes.   Grab those weights and get ready to burn those calories … and with it the “holiday” pounds.

Retailers Ambush Warner Bros. Home Entertainment With Jan. 7 Order-Taking For Writer/Director Todd Phillips' Joker

It was tough to keep it a secret.   With Best Buy, iTunes and Target all starting to take orders for a Jan. 7 street date over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and Ingram Distribution’s Videoeta website jumped in to confirm that date, Warner Bros. Home Entertainment got ambushed.   

 With so many outlets running with that first street-date Tuesday in 2020 as the release date for writer/director Todd Phillips’ Joker, starring three-time Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix as the title character, who are we to stand in the way of the onrushing mob.  

So Jan. 7 it is, which yields an ARR of 95 days.  Domestic ticket sales are a whopping $326.9 million (an amazing take for an R-rated “Batman” film).

Planned for release are Blu-ray/DVD and 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Combo Packs, as well as a stand-alone DVD edition.

A masterful film, Joker more or less turns the entire Bruce Wayne mythology on its head.   Thomas Wayne, Bruce Wayne’s father, and his Wayne Enterprises is a corrupt outfit and the Wayne empire is built on the oppression of the poor.   To make it even more madding, Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix’s character), may actually be Bruce Wayne’s illegitimate half-brother who has been denied his birthright.   

Ah, but then again, filmmaker Todd Phillips (best known for The Hangover trilogy), and his co-writer Scott Silver (The Fighter, 8 Mile), have made Arthur Fleck/Joker so delusional that it is difficult to separate what is really real versus Fleck’s interpretation of reality.   

And that is precisely why the film works so well.   Crazy, violent, but sympathetic in an odd sort of way, Fleck could be all he imagines he is or not.  Victim, hero, anti-hero or insane psychopath … he literally covers all of the bases and in the process Joaquin Phoenix has crafted an Oscar-worthy performance as Batman’s future arch-nemesis.

Wild Eye Releasing Looks To Feb. 11 For The DVD Debut Of Writer/Director József Gallai’s Spirits in the Dark

Wild Eye Releasing, with sales and distribution assistance from MVD Entertainment Group, has tabbed Feb. 11 as the DVD debut date for writer/director József Gallai’s Spirits in the Dark.

An eerie, abandoned (seemingly so) building, where people have vanished before, is the setting for this tale of grief and ghostly apparitions.   

Gil (played by filmmaker József Gallai) has recently lost his wife Stephanie (Beáta Boldog — Gallai’s real life wife, who also produced) during childbirth and now finds himself very much alone.   We learn that the pair enjoyed exploring old abandoned buildings (which seems very odd) and when a mysterious email arrives, complete with a video sequence that seems to suggest the ghost of Stephanie might be lurking in a mysterious — and obviously abandoned — building, it is just too much for Gil to ignore.   

Why the video?  Who is the sender?  Who shot the video?  Questions that any reasonable person might ask, but Gil is all in, hook, line and sinker … and so off he goes in search of the location and soon finds it.   There are hints and clues that things have happened there before, which would have sent any reasonable person scurrying for the exits.   Not Gil, who documents his exploration of the sinister place, and in doing so takes us with him.

Filmmaker József Gallai deftly blends narrative footage with linkage “found footage” to craft a creepy tale of things that go bump in the night.   Spirits in the Dark delivers exactly what it promises … an eerie, ghostly tale of haunted digs and a fool who is hell-bent on exploring such places where reasonable people would avoid like the plague.