Every week we dive into the cream of the crop when it comes to home releases, including Blu-ray and DVD, as well recommended deals of the week. Check out our rundown below and return every Tuesday for the best films one can take home. Note that every purchase you make through the links below helps support the site and is greatly appreciated.
42 (Brian Helgeland)
With a high production value, wonderful late-40s aesthetic, and great background detail the Jackie Robinson biopic 42 does its subject justice. While the result languishes in the purgatory of well-crafted by-the-numbers biopics, I do have to single out Chadwich Boseman for trying his very best to push it beyond. Credit the filmmakers for giving this television actor a shot at embodying a legend because he has the physique, tempestuousness, humor, and determination to pull it off. Boseman brings number forty-two to life, helping us remember—and teaching those too young to know—exactly what he did for America. – Jared M.
See Also: [Review] 42, Bruce Campbell On How the New Evil Dead Compares to His Original, Pressures, Casting & More, Evil Dead Cast Discuss Practical Effects, Zombie Class, Initial Hesitations and Running Out of Scared Faces
Evil Dead (Fede Alvarez)
There’s nothing quite like hearing 1,600 people roar, cheer, scream, cringe and laugh for a film premiere. Evil Dead nearly blew the roof off of the Paramount when I saw it during its SXSW premiere, with fans of all ranges going bananas. That’s a roaring thumbs up for a film that was initially met with a large amount of skepticism. One thing is for sure: if you dug the tone of the red-band trailer that swayed a lot of fans’ minds, filmmaker Fede Alvarez‘s redo is going to rock your world. Everything about this film is about elevation –the gore and violence are challenging, and can quickly move from over-the-top hilarious in the extreme, to cringe-worthy and visually pungent. In 90 short minutes, Evil Dead gives you an emotional workout, and it’s a blast to experience. – Bill G.
See Also: [Review] Evil Dead
Lord of the Flies (Peter Brook)
As each new adaptation of a beloved novel makes it to screens, more often than not, they disappointment the very fans that were interested in the work in the first place. So, as The Criterion Collection releases a Blu-ray of Peter Brook‘s haunting take on Lord of the Flies, it comes with great reassurance that a beloved novel can get the proper treatment on film. Featuring a new, restored 4K digital film transfer, audio commentary with Brook & crew, audio recordings of William Golding reading from his novel and much more, this is a fantastic set — especially if you’re like me and haven’t seen it since grade school. – Jordan R.
Recommended Deals of the Weeks
Airplane! (Blu-ray) – $7.85
The American (Blu-ray) – $4.99
Annie Hall (Blu-ray) – $10.49
Beasts of the Southern Wild (Blu-ray) – $8.98
Black Swan (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Blue Velvet (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (Blu-ray) – $7.99
The Cabin in the Woods (Blu-ray) – $9.96
Casino Royale (Blu-ray) – $10.03
City of God & City of Men (Blu-ray)- $9.96
Cool Hand Luke (Blu-ray) – $8.49
Collateral (Blu-ray) – $9.97
The Descendants (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Drive (Blu-ray) – $9.49
Fight Club (Blu-ray) – $10.00
The French Connection (Blu-ray) – $11.99
Goodfellas (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Haywire (Blu-ray) – $10.99
Heat (Blu-ray) – $9.99
The Illusionist (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Inception (Blu-ray) – $9.04
Lawrence of Arabia (Blu-ray)- $9.99
Magic Mike (Blu-ray) – $11.49
Memento (Blu-ray) – $7.99
Midnight in Paris (Blu-ray)- $9.99
Miller’s Crossing (Blu-ray) – $10.49
Michael Clayton (Blu-ray) – $8.49
National Lampoon’s Vacation (Blu-ray)- $9.99
Pulp Fiction (Blu-ray) – $9.49
The Raid: Redemption (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Seven (Blu-ray) – $8.36
Somewhere (Blu-ray) – $8.49
Smashed (Blu-ray) – $9.99
Sound of My Voice (Blu-ray) – $9.99
There Will Be Blood (Blu-ray) – $7.99
The Thing (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Trainspotting (Blu-ray) – $7.79
The Truman Show (Blu-ray) – $8.99
The Untouchables (Blu-ray) – $8.99
Young Frankenstein (Blu-ray) – $9.49
Zodiac (Blu-ray) – $7.99
What are you picking up this week?