—Better Call Saul: Season One ( already out ): This Breaking Bad spinoff is in a Limited Collector's Edition Blu-ray, along with a standalone Blu-ray and DVD, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Starring Bob Odenkirk, Jonathan Banks, Rhea Seehorn, Patrick Fabian, Michael Mando and Michael McKean, the show is set six years before Albuquerque's most notorious "criminal" attorney, Saul Goodman ( Odenkirk ), becomes Walter White's lawyer. Special features include commentaries and a gag reel.
—Burnt Offerings ( already out; $19.95 ): This 1976 item, from Kino Lorber, is a horror movie notable for one of the last appearances of the legendary Bette Davis. Davis, Karen Black and Oliver Reed star in this haunted-house chiller. Special features include interviews, audio commentaries and even an animated montage of images.
—Far from Men ( already out; $29.95 ): In 1954, a reclusive ex-soldier ( Viggo Mortensen ) is thrown into the woes of rebellion when he's ordered to escort a villager ( Reda Kateb ) accused of murder to prison during the Algerian War. As their journey leads them through a deadly fire-fight between settlers and rebels, the two men on opposite sides of the conflict must join forces to survive in this adaptation of Albert Camus' short story "The Guest." David Oelhoffen directed.
—Goosebumps ( Jan. 26; $29.95 ): The TV classic was in movie theaters last year; based on Scholastic's worldwide best-selling book series, with over 400 million copies in print, the motion picture adventure stars Jack Black ( School of Rock ) as Goosebumps author R.L. Stine. When Zach ( played by Dylan Minnette ) unwittingly unleashes magical monsters on the town, he must team with his new friends and Stine ( Black ) to send the ghouls back where they came from before it's too late.
—The Guilty ( already out; $24.98 ): The producers behind the international hit Sherlock are back with another crime to solve in The Guilty, which revolves around a missing child. Moving between two timelines, 2008 and 2013, The Guilty follows the story of detective Maggie Brand as she investigates the disappearance of 5-year-old Callum Reid after a neighborhood party. And knowing the BBC, this is at taut as its other crime series.
—The Mask ( already out; $19.95 ): Not to be confused with the Jim Carrey movie, Julian Roffman's 1961 psychotronic classic ( and Canada's first feature-length horror film ) is about a psychiatrist who comes into possession of an ancient tribal mask that threatens to destroy him. The Blu-ray edition ( $34.95 ) presents the film in stereoscopic 3-D from the original 35mm elements ( 3-D television, player and glasses required ).
—Like You Mean It ( already out ): Courtesy of Breaking Glass Pictures, this semi-autobiographical film ( written and directed by the film's lead, Philipp Karner ) is about two men determined to fall back in love. Starting Dec. 8, the movie will be available on DVD and the following VOD platforms: iTunes, Amazon Instant and Google Play.
—Luther 4 ( already out; $24.98 ): Golden Globe winner Idris Elba ( Mandela, Beasts of No Nation, Star Trek Beyond )—recently honored with an OBE for services to drama* by Queen Elizabeth II—returns to Luther 4 in his award-winning role as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. The drama becomes even edgier, thanks to a complex plot involving a cannibalistic serial killer. The series co-stars Rose Leslie ( who was so memorable in Game of Thrones ).
—Monsignor ( already out; $19.93 on Amazon ): The late actor Christopher Reeve—best known for his Superman movies in the late '70s and early '80s—was also at his hunky best as an ambitious U.S. veteran-turned-Vatican priest who seduces a woman and gets involved with the Italian Mob.
—Nasty Baby ( already out; $26.99 ): Kristen Wiig, Tunde Adebimpe and Sebastian Silva ( who also directed ) star in the provocative new drama about a gay couple and their best friend. Windy City Times film critic Richard Knight Jr. has written that Nasty Baby "while certainly not typical horror fare—has it in spades when it comes to the shock factor." The movie has a R rating for sexual content, some disturbing violence, language, drug use and graphic nude images. Bonus items include a commentary with the stars, a photo gallery and a behind-the-scenes featurette.
—Olympus: Season One ( already out; $19.97 ): Courtesy of Shout! Factory, this SyFy series centers on how a few men and women banished the gods to the realm of the unconscious: a place they called the Underworld, or the Kingdom of Hades.
—Old 37 ( already out; $14.99 ): Just because Halloween has come and gone doesn't mean you still can't be scared. This film scored a double win at Montreal ComicCon's HorrorFest ( for Best Film and Best Kill ). The film stars Kane Hodder ( Friday the 13th, Hatchet ) and Bill Moseley ( The Devil's Rejects, House of 1000 Corpses ) as twisted brothers working together to exact revenge on some careless teen drivers. For more info, see OLD37TheMovie.com . ( Note: The audio commentary involving writer/producer Paul Travers and Darius Holder, who oversaw the music, is even more entertaining than the film. )
—Pee-Wee's Playhouse Christmas Special ( already out; $6.95 ): Shout! Factory presents Pee-wee's Playhouse: Christmas Special ( and, yes, that price is correct ). Pee-wee gets into the spirit of the season with lots of singing, dancing and other holiday fun with his Playhouse pals and more than a dozen celebrity guest stars as you've never seen them before.
—The Pyramid ( already out; $29.98 ): Out actor Denis O'Hare ( TV's True Blood and American Horror Story ) co-stars in yet another scare-filled outing. A team of archaeologists tries to unlock the title object's secrets. Once inside the catacombs, however, they become lost—and soon find themselves being stalked.
—Saints & Strangers ( Feb. 16 ): This historical drama, arriving courtesy of Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, stars Ron Livingston ( Office Space ), Vincent Kartheiser ( TV's Mad Men ), Anna Camp ( Pitch Perfect ), Ray Stevenson ( Divergent ), Natascha McElhone ( TV's Californication ) and many others. Exploring the trials and tribulations of this country's first settlers, this event ( which aired on the National Geographic Channel ) is the never-before-seen perspective about the 101 men, women and children who sailed 2,800 miles for 66 days on the Mayflower for a new land they had never seen. Bonuses include deleted scenes.
—Slam Dance ( already out; $19.95 ): An all-star cast—including Tom Hulce ( Amadeus ), Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio ( The January Man ), Virginia Madsen ( Modern Girls ), Adam Ant ( Nomads ) and Harry Dean Stanton ( Paris, Texas )—stars in this 1991 tale about murder and madness.
—Sleeping with Other People ( Jan. 5; $29.99 ): Jason Sudeikis, Alison Brie, Adam Scott, Amanda Peet and Orange Is the New Black's Natasha Lyonne star in this comedy whose title pretty much describes the plot. Twelve years after their one-night stand, Jake ( Sudeikis ) and Lainey ( Brie ) cross paths and realize that they've both become chronic commitment-phobes. Despite their obvious attraction, the two agree to keep their friendship strictly platonic—but you know how that can go.
—Velociraptor ( already out ): This TLA Releasing film is about two best friends ( Alex, who's gay, and Diego, who's straight ) walking around Mexico City one afternoon during the end of the world—with Alex planning to ask Diego to help him lose his virginity before the apocalypse. It won the Jury Prize for Best Feature at the 17th Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and it has been screened all over the world.
—The Wanted 18 ( already out; $29.95 ): This very unique film re-creates ( through stop-motion animation ) an incredible story: the Israeli army's pursuit of 18 cows, whose independent milk production on a Palestinian collective farm was declared "a threat to the national security of the state of Israel." In English, Arabic and Hebrew
—Wild Planet 3D Collection ( already out; $52.99 on Blu-Ray ): Those into nature and science ( like myself ) can certainly appreciate this three-disc set. Travel hundreds of millions of years back in time to experience the prehistoric world with Planet Dinosaur 3D, narrated by John Hurt ( Doctor Who, the Harry Potter films ); experience the giant adventures of the world's smallest creatures in Tiny Giants 3D, narrated by Stephen Fry ( the Hobbit films, 24: Live Another Day ); and soar alongside birds with Wings 3D, narrated by David Tennant ( Doctor Who, Broadchurch ).
Prices and release dates are for DVDs, unless otherwise stated.
—By Andrew Davis
( Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com )
