New on DVD
Two of the DVDs being released May 30 take very different looks at death.
“The Shack”: The film starts with a parent’s greatest nightmare. A loving father (Sam Worthington) takes his three children on a camping trip that ends with his youngest daughter being kidnapped. The loss of the child tears the family apart and makes the father question his belief in God.
He gets to ask his questions directly to God when he’s guided to a home in the woods. God appears to him in many forms including a caring older woman played by Octavia Spencer. This opens up a dialogue where the movie becomes a seminar on theology with God answering direct questions with more questions or parables.
This script, written by John Fusco and Andrew Lanham based on the book by William P. Young, is heavily faith based but it also has a lot to say to those dealing with the stages of grief after such soulcrushing losses. The film is at its best when they focus on the father because they will resonate with anyone who is a parent —no matter their faith or lack of it.
“Before I Fall”: Because this production looks at a young woman reliving the last day of her life over and over, the easy comparison is to “Groundhog Day.” It’s better to look at it as being more about the five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. That makes the screenplay by Maria Maggenti (based on the book of the same name by Lauren Oliver) more compelling. It’s not as easy to dismiss this as merely a teen dramedy and makes it more like a story that is emotionally strong.
The writing is solid but all of the credit for making “Before I Fall” work goes to Zoey Deutch. She must play a character who goes through multiple transformations during the continuing day and Deutch shows equal skill whether playing a snarky teen or a loving friend. Deutch sells both and that gives the movie depth.
Even Deutch can’t help the troubled ending. The final moments — on the surface — come across as being a happy ending but it really only generates a lot of pain and sorrow.
The flaw doesn’t take anything away from the skillful performance by Deutch. She handles a complicated role with the kind of ease and talent that should make her a big star.
“Fist Fight”: It is difficult to decide if the greatest failing of this so-called comedy is the wasting of talented performers like Charlie Day and Ice Cube or it’s the uninspired script by novice writers Van Robichaux and Evan Susser. Both are equally at fault with making this story of two teachers scheduled for a fight in a school parking lot after school worse than a full year of detention.
The dependence on schoolyard humor to make up for any original writing means filling the movie with profanity, jokes about masturbation and an endless barrage of male genitalia images and comments.
The writing and the unimaginative directing show no signs of intelligent life. “Fist Fight” is the kind of movie people argue shouldn’t be taken so seriously. This is not an attack on crass humor but there should be at least one glimmer of thought put into the work. “Fist Fight” is the kind of movie that had to sound a lot funnier after lots of late-night drinking and no sleep.
Sober and awake, it comes across like a production that should have been held back. Also new this week: “Major Crimes: The Complete Fifth Season”: Seasoned team of detectives deal with a new boss. Mary McDonnell stars.
“Staying Vertical”: Chance encounter leaves a woman depressed and feeling abandoned.
“The Blackcoat’s Daughter”: Three young people face an evil force at an isolated prep school.
“The Last Kingdom: Season Two”: Uhtred (Alexander Dreymon) goes on a journey to find his way after a decisive battle.
“Rupture”: Woman becomes subject of bizarre experiment. Noomi Rapace stars.
“Collide”: American tourists makes deal with a gangster to get emergency help for his girlfriend.
“Suits: Season Six”: Legal team keeps fighting for justice while hiding secrets. Gabriel Macht stars.
“Queen Sugar: The Complete First Season”: Battling siblings are forced to work together after inheriting their father’s sugar cane farm.
“The Shiek”: The 1921 film starring Rudolph Valentino is being released on Blu-ray.
“Malibu High”: re-release of the 1979 film about a high school senior who uses her body to get what she wants but ends up in a risky world.
“Vixen: The Movie”: Animated super hero series that originally aired on the CW streaming service.
“Shaquille O’Neal Presents All-Star Comedy Jam: Life from Sin City”: Cocoa Brown, Donnell Rawlings and K-Dubb are featured.
“Hart to Hart”: Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers star in the TV detective drama. Set includes 110 episodes.
“The Mummy Ultimate Collection”: Includes four films in the franchise that features Brendan Fraser as the Mummy hunter.