Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Looks To Aug. 7 For The Home Entertainment Rollout Of Melissa McCarthy's Life Of The Party

The husband and wife team of Ben Falcone and Melissa McCarthy have come up with yet another fun comedy, Life of the Party, which is all built around the ability of McCarthy to play against whatever stereotype the pair (who co-wrote) can conjure up.  

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment announced this past week that Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack and stand-alone DVD editions of Life of the Party will be ready for fans to enjoy on Aug. 7.

That street date yields an ARR of 88 days and domestic box office receipts currently stand at $50.3 million. 

After Tammy and The Boss — and now Life of the Party — the duo can bank just about any funny idea that they can come up with.   Indeed, the combo of Falcon directing and McCarthy starring in will be back during the Christmas season of 2019 with a little something titled Superintelligence.

Until then, we have Life of the Party, where McCarthy plays an unfulfilled middle-aged housewife by the name of Deanna, who gets dumped for a younger woman by her husband Dan (played by Matt Walsh) as their daughter, Maddie (Molly Gordon), heads off to her senior year in college.

It’s the perfect role for McCarthy as a comedian.   In the early scenes she is a frump, stuck in a rut and seemingly with no future, other than just getting older and doing the same thing over and over again.   Which is more or less the definition of insanity.

The break from Dan, who really rubs it in — everything is in his name and he’s selling their home (filmed in Georgia, property owned prior to marriage is not considered community property) — gives her a nothing-to-lose sense of freedom.   In the backstory we learn that she became pregnant with Maddie during her senior year at college and was forced to drop out.

Bingo!   Back to college and get that degree.   Melissa McCarthy turned loose in a college atmosphere … from middle age frump to party animal (with a really cool twist).   Life of the Party is a terrific idea and very, very funny!!

The bonus feature common to both SKUs is the featurette titled “’80s Party.”   Exclusive to the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack are deleted scenes, a gag reel, the featurette titled “Mom Sandwich” and two other gadgets — “Line-o-Rama” and “Bill Hate-o-Rama.”

Wild Eye Releasing Targets Aug. 14 For The DVD Debut Of Writer/Director Joe McReynolds' Inhumanity

Wild Eye Releasing, with sales and distribution expertise provided by MVD Entertainment Group, looks to Aug. 14 for the DVD debut of writer/director Joe McReynolds’ Inhumanity.

The streets of Austin, Texas are the private killing grounds of a serial killer known to the locals as Six Pack Sam (played by Leviticus Wolfe).   Why “Six Pack Sam” you might ask?   Easy answer, five college co-eds have been raped and murdered … and each murder location includes his signature, six empty beer bottles.

So Inhumanity is a crazed killer flick, right?   Maybe.

Six Pack Sam’s next victim is Jessa (Darcel Danielle), who just happens to be the daughter of the detective assigned to the case.   But this time he misses his mark and Jessa escapes, only to awaken from a coma in the hospital.   So this little mystery is going to be solved real quick, right?   

Consider this, you’ve got the daughter of the detective in charge as a witness — she was a pick up at a local bar, perfect description of the guy.  Piece of cake, except for one little thing; just a minor thing … while Jessa was recovering in the hospital her father decided to kill himself.

Nothing makes sense to Jessa.   There’s not a chance in the world that her father would take his own life.   Six Pack Sam is free to murder again, but there’s more going on with Inhumanity than just it being a crazed killer flick.

Indie filmmaker Joe McReynold’s turns the story upside down and gives it a good shake as Jessa, the potential victim, decides to solve the case.   Jessa is quickly warned off by officials, so she turns to a former colleague of her father’s, who just happens to be a total hick, by the name of Sergio (Ford Austin) … but he’s the only one she can trust.

Inhumanity is a slick micro-budget thriller, featuring a sinister killer … and an even more sinister killer in the form of the mysterious Dr. Campbell (Diana Rose) and her corporate cohorts, which includes members of the police.   Serial killers are being weaponized and Jessa and Sergio are an overmatched Holmes and Watson, with Dr. Campbell as a deadly “Moriarty” with an agenda that makes Six Pack Sam’s brutal killings a mere warm-up. 

The Criterion Collection Reveals Its September Of 2018 Release Calendar

The Criterion Collection announced its September DVD and Blu-ray release calendar this past week, which includes a terrific screwball comedy, the film adaptation of a Lorraine Hansberry’s celebrated play, A Raisin in the Sun, two extended versions of major foreign-language works and the domestic home entertainment debut of French filmmaker Olivier Assayas’ Cold Water.

The screwball comedy getting a restoration from Criterion in September is director Gregory La Cava’s 1936 gem My Man Godfrey, starring William Powell and Carole Lombard (both nominated Best Actor and Best Actress respectively … as was La Cava for his direction and Eric Hatch and Morrie Ryskind for their screenplay).   The street date for DVD and Blu-ray selections is Sept. 18.

Bonus features include outtakes, newsreels from the period, the 1938 Lux Radio Theatre recreation with William Powell, Carole Lombard, Gail Patrick and Mischa Auer (who nominated Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Carlo in the theatrical release) and two newly-prepared video sessions — one with Village Voice film critic Gary Giddins (discussing the jazz elements of the film) and the second features film critic Nick Pinkerton’s insights on filmmaker Gregory La Cava.

Getting a new 4K film restoration on Sept. 25 is director Daniel Petrie’s 1961 film adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s Broadway Play, A Raisin in the Sun, starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Claudia McNeil.

Bonus features for the Blu-ray and DVD release include a vintage (circa 1961) interview with Lorraine Hansberry, two newly-prepared video sessions — one with author Imani Perry (“Looking for Lorraine”) and the second featuring film scholar and author of “Poitier Revisited” — and an excerpt from documentary filmmaker Woodie King, Jr.’s 1978 documentary, Black Theatre: The Making of a Movement.

Rounding out the September release calendar from Criterion are Blu-ray and DVD editions of Ingmar Bergman’s Scenes from a Marriage (both the TV mini-series and domestic theatrical release versions are included … street date is Sept. 04), Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1966 film release of Andrei Rublev (both the original Russian theatrical version and Tarkovsky’s preferred cut of the film on Sept. 28) and the aforementioned debut Cold Water (Sept. 11).

20th Century-Fox Home Entertainment Goes DVD-Only For Director Sean McNamara's The Miracle Season On July 31

Director Sean McNamara’s inspirational tale of the Iowa City’s West High School girl’s volleyball team overcoming their grief after the tragic death of their team leader, Caroline “Line” Found (played by Danika Yarosh), plays out in the film release of The Miracle Season.

20^th Century-Fox Home Entertainment announced this past week that a DVD-only edition will be retailer-ready on July 31.   That date yields an ARR of 116 days and ticket sales for this not-a-dry-eye-in-the-house story were a little light at $10.2 million.

McNamara previously teamed with Helen Hunt in the 2011 film release of Soul Surfer — another based on actual events story.   Here she plays the coach of the team, with Erin Moiarty (Captain Fantastic) as Caroline’s best friend and dispirited teammate and William Hurt as the girl’s heartbroken father.   

You’ve seen the story before … girl dies, team falls apart (losing heart), gets crushed, but then finds the will to go on, etc., etc.    The Miracle Season delivers the emotional punch that one would expect from such a story, with Hunt, Hurt and Moiarty all “serving” up terrific performances.

Bonus features are limited to the featurette titled “Star Player.”

Lionsgate Home Entertainment Tabs July 31 For The Release Of DVD And Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Editions Of Director Rob Greenburg's Overboard

When the “Hollywood” studios run out of ideas they simply remake something.  Back in 1987, writer Leslie Dixon (Mrs. Doubtfire) and director Garry Marshall delivered Overboard (with Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell).   

It was conjured up this year by director Rob Greenburg, with the Hawn/Russell roles reversed in presentation of Overboard … Eugenio Derbez is rich, suffering from amnesia and overboard, while Anna Faris is the hired help who does the old switcheroo.   

Lionsgate Home Entertainment announced this past week that DVD and Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack editions will be ready for summertime viewing enjoyment on July 31.    

The ARR is a swift-to-market 88 days and multiplex activity generated $47.6 million in ticket sales during May and June.

Bonus features include commentary from writer/director Rob Greenberg (three Emmys for his work on the Frasier comedy series), who is joined by producer/writer Bob Fisher (We’re the Millers, Wedding Crashers) and producer Benjamin Odell, plus three featurettes — “Culture Clash,” “Captains of the Ship: Bob & Rob” and “Chemistry is Comedy.”

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment's Avengers: Infinity War Heads Home On Aug. 14

If you thought the political landscape these days was dominated by leaks about this and that — and that such things were exclusive to politics — you would be only be half right.   

The home entertainment business, when it comes to news about blockbuster theatrical releases making the transition from their local multiplex venues to the home entertainment marketplace, can be just as sieve-like. 

Directors Anthony and Joe Russo’s Avengers: Infinity War will arrive on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD on Aug. 14, but Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment has yet to make that official.   No matter, orders are being taken, including for those “exclusive” special editions over at Target and Best Buy.

You would think that one of the most expensive films to be made in the history of cinema would get some special attention, especially one coming from the Disney/Marvel universe.   There should be actors, filmmakers, studios brass, press and cocktails, with an appropriate studio backdrop to top off a big, showy formal announcement, but it’s not happening.

Sure, you can point fingers here and there, but Disney did get blindsided by Comcast last week and had to scramble to sweeten its offer for Fox, so that likely sucked all of the air out of the room.  And retailers — being what they are — are more than eager to get the jump on Amazon.com these days so that they can log “their fair share” of the business.   The result is, sadly, business as usual and ballyhoo be damned!

For the record, the ARR comes in at 109 days and ticket sales currently stand at an eye-popping $655.1 million.

Bonus features … well, those are in the works.    

For the period ending June 08, 2018 ... New DVD and Blu-ray selections added to the DVD & Blu-ray Release Report's database.

 

DVD New Additions:

 

Ancient Hebrew Research Center (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Ancient Hebrew Alphabet

BBC Home Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Mystery of the Jurassic

Blue Fox Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Eat Me

Bridgestone Multimedia

06/05/18 — Released Dreams & Memories of Where The Red Fern Grows and Masked Saint

Championship Productions

05/29/18 — Released Mike Rhoades' Full Court Pressure Defense System with Breakdown Drills, Modified Virginia Tech 4-2-5 Defense for High School: Installation, Base Sets & Alignments, Modified Virginia Tech 4-2-5 Defense for High School: Man Blitzes & Whole Field Coverages, Modified Virginia Tech 4-2-5 Defense for High School: Split-Field Coverages and Modified Virginia Tech 4-2-5 Defense for High School: Zone Blitzes

06/05/18 — Released Mike White: Team Skill Development and Open Practice with Ryan McCarthy: Creating Mayhem

Cinedigm Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Altered Perception and RWBY: Volume Five (2 disc set)

Cinedigm Entertainment (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Matthews

DreamScape Media, LLC

06/05/18 — Released King Arthur: The Story of How Arthur Became King, Miguel's Brave Knight, Patrick Kielty's Mulholland Drive, Silhouettes, Travel With Kids - Florence & Tuscany, Italy and Travel With Kids - Greek Islands Adventure: Paros & Santorini

E1 Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Astro, Don't Get Caught (aka: What are the Chances?) and Your Move

Echo Bridge Home Ent.

06/05/18 — Released Asteroid: Final Impact, Crescent and Deadly Inferno

Eagle Rock Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars

Empire Video

06/05/18 — Released Parole (Malayalam)

First Run Features

06/05/18 — Released Coach Jake

FUNimation

06/05/18 — Released Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Apostasy, Black Beach/White Beach, Do Women Have a Higher Sex Drive, Monochrome, Son of Sofia (Russian/Greek), What if It Works? and Women and Sometimes Men

Hallmark Channel

06/05/18 — Released Wedding Bells

I-Cine

06/05/18 — Released Duyen No Ba Sinh (17 disc set) and Vuot Qua An Tu (11 disc set)

Icarus Films

07/24/18 — Sets The Great Game (French)

In the Studio with Dianne Mize (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Creating Distance: Distant Textures

Indican Pictures

07/24/18 — Sets Within the Darkness

Kino Lorber

06/05/18 — Released Big Country (2 disc set) and Defining Hope

La Huit

06/05/18 — Released Detroit Techno: Never Stop/The Cycle Of The Mental Machine (2 disc set)

Maverick Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Cold Soldiers

Momentum Pictures, LLC

06/05/18 — Released Last Witness

Nandar Home Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released People With Issues

National Geographic Video (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released National Geographic: Rocky Mountain Animal Rescue (2 disc set)

Naxos

06/05/18 — Released Mozart: Lucio Silla and Ottorino Respighi: La Campana Sommersa

NCircle Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Little Prince: The Planet of the Rose and Super 4: Meet Ruby

Our Daily Bread Ministries

06/05/18 — Released Awakening: Discover Your Role in the Gospel

PBS Direct

06/05/18 — Released Nature Cat: Onward and Pondward!, Real Story: Brave Heart, Real Story: Live Free or Die Hard and Real Story: True Grit

Paramount Home Media

08/28/18 — Sets Criminal Minds: The Thirteenth Season (6 disc set) and NCIS Los Angeles: The Ninth Season (6 disc set)

09/04/18 — Sets Bull: Season Two (6 disc set) and Hawaii Five-O: The Eighth Season (6 disc set)

Radioactive Cactus Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released And Then Came Summer, Arizona Sky and Last Year

Rarefilmsandmore.com (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Me and the Colonel

Reel Nightmare Entertainment (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Ghosts of Portal 31

Samuel Goldwyn Films (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Black Cop, Boynton Beach Club, Raising Victor Vargas, Saint Ralph and Walk on Water

Serpent Films (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Savage Weekend (aka: The Killer Behind the Mask)

Shout! Factory

06/05/18 — Released Devil's Gate, Midnight Man, Satellite Girl and Milk Cow and When Calls the Heart: Home is Where the Heart Is

Silent Hall of Fame (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Dinty (silent-1920)

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Best of Los Masizos: Ciclope, Best of Los Masizos: Miedo Extremo, Best on the Indies: Rickey Shane Page - Sad Boy, Nice Boy: The Balled of Rickey Shane Page, GCW: Zandig's Tournament of Survival III - Howell, NJ and H2O Wrestling: Hardcore - Miscellaneous Violence from the First Two Years

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

06/05/18 — Released Debt Collector, Supercon and The Rake

Sunrise, Inc.

06/05/18 — Released Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, Collection Two (4 disc set)

The Orchard

06/05/18 — Released It Came from the Desert

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent.

06/05/18 — Released PJ Masks: Save The Summer

07/17/18 — Sets Isle of Dogs (ARR of 116 days; box office: $31,406,348) and Super Troopers 2 (ARR of 88 days; box office: $30,318,666)

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent. (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released New Girl: The Complete Sixth Season (3 disc set) and Snowfall: The Complete First Season (3 disc set)

Ultra DVD

06/05/18 — Released Karuppan (Tamil)

Uncork’d Entertainment (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Terrible Two

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

08/07/18 — Sets Breaking In (ARR of 88 days; box office: $41,341,530)

Vision Films

06/05/18 — Released All Between Us

Vision Films (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Evolution, Great Barrier Reef, Not a War Story and Range 15 (ARR of 718 days; box office: $621,738)

Walt Disney Studios Home Ent.

06/05/18 — Released Peter Pan: The Signature Collection (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy)

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Living Single: The Complete Fifth Season (2 disc set)

06/19/18 — Adds Perfect Strangers: The Complete Fourth Season (3 disc set)

06/26/18 — Adds Fiesta

Wolfe

09/04/18 — Sets Venus

World Impact, Inc. (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Capstone Module 01: Conversión y Llamadom (2 disc set), Capstone Module 07: Fundamentos del Liderazgo Cristiano (2 disc set), Capstone Module 08: Evangelización y Guerra Espiritual (2 disc set), Capstone Module 09: El Antiguo Testamente testifica de Cristo y Su Reino (2 disc set), Capstone Module 10: Dios, el Hijo (2 disc set), Capstone Module 11: Practicando el Liderazgo Cristiano (2 disc set), Capstone Module 12: Enfoque en la Reproducción (2 disc set), Capstone Module 13: El Nuevo Testamento Testifica de Cristo y Su Reino (2 disc set) and Capstone Module 14: Dios el Espíritu Santo (2 disc set)

Blu-ray New Additions:

 

AGFA

08/14/18 — Sets Lady Street Fighter

Brainfarm/Red Bull

06/05/18 — Released North of Nightfall (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Cinedigm Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released RWBY: Volume Five (2 disc set) and Steam Engines of Oz (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Cult Epics

06/05/18 — Released Frank and Eva (Dutch) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

Eagle Rock Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars

Film Movement

06/05/18 — Released Great Silence: 50th Anniversary Edition (Italian)

Flicker Alley

06/05/18 — Released Ancient Law (silent-1923) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack)

FUNimation

06/05/18 — Released As the Gods Will (Japanese) (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) and Black Butler: Book of the Atlantic

Gravitas Ventures (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released Monochrome, Son of Sofia (Russian/Greek), What if It Works? and Women and Sometimes Men

Kino Lorber

06/05/18 — Released Big Country

Lionsgate Home Entertainment

06/05/18 — Released Hurricane Heist (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

07/17/18 — Adds Traffik (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

MVD Entertainment Group

08/28/18 — Adds Blast

Mill Creek Entertainment

09/11/18 — Sets Benji: Off the Leash! (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with Digital Copy), Community: The Complete Series (12 disc set) and Rescue Me: The Complete Series (16 disc set)

Naxos

06/05/18 — Released Mozart: Lucio Silla and Ottorino Respighi: La Campana Sommersa

PCN Productions (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released 2018 PIAA Boys 2A Lacrosse, 2018 PIAA Boys 2A Volleyball, 2018 PIAA Boys 3A Lacrosse, 2018 PIAA Boys 3A Volleyball, 2018 PIAA Girls 2A Lacrosse and 2018 PIAA Girls 3A Lacrosse

Sentai FilmWorks

06/05/18 — Released Anonymous Noise: The Complete Collection (2 disc set) and Kabukibu: The Complete Collection (2 disc set)

Shout! Factory

06/05/18 — Released Devil's Gate, Midnight Man and Satellite Girl and Milk Cow

Smart Mark Video (MOD)

06/05/18 — Released GCW: Zandig's Tournament of Survival III - Howell, NJ

Sony Pictures Home Ent.

06/05/18 — Released Lost Horizon and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Sunrise, Inc.

06/05/18 — Released Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, Collection Two (4 disc set)

20^th Century-Fox Home Ent.

07/17/18 — Sets Isle of Dogs (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy) and Super Troopers 2 (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Universal Pictures Home Ent.

06/05/18 — Released Bee Movie (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Boss Baby (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Croods (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Dating Project, Delirium, Home (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), How to Train Your Dragon (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), How to Train Your Dragon 2 (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Kung Fu Panda (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Kung Fu Panda 2 (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Kung Fu Panda 3 (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Madagascar (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Megamind (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Mr. Peabody & Sherman (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Monsters vs. Aliens (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Penguins of Madagascar (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Puss in Boots (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Rise of the Guardians (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Shrek (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Shrek Forever After (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Shrek: The Third (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Shrek 2 (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron (with UltraViolet Digital Copy), Trolls (with UltraViolet Digital Copy) and Turbo (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

07/31/18 — Sets Tully (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

08/07/18 — Sets Breaking In (Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Warner Bros. Home Ent.

07/31/18 — Sets Looming Tower (2 disc set) (with UltraViolet Digital Copy)

Warner Bros. Home Ent. (MOD)

08/07/18 — Sets Riverdale: The Complete Second Season (4 disc set)