video releases
“BUTCHER’S CROSSING”
A young academic yearning to experience the Wild West accompanies a deranged buffalo hunter on a perilous expedition in the Colorado mountains. Leaving behind the lecture halls of Harvard University, Will Andrews (Fred Hechinger) ventures to the trading outpost Butcher’s Crossing, intent on witnessing a buffalo hunt. Turned away by fur trader and family acquaintance McDonald (Paul Raci), Will meets veteran buffalo hunter Miller (Nicolas Cage), who entices the naive outsider with tales of vast herds and great fortunes. Funding the expedition, which includes one-armed wagon driver Charlie Hoge (Xander Berkeley) and mercurial trapper Fred Schneider (Jeremy Bobb), Will’s vision of human nature and the American frontier is challenged as elements threaten the group’s lives and sanity.
Director: Gabe Polsky. Stars: Nicolas Cage, Fred Hechinger, Jeremy Bobb, Xander Berkeley, Paul Raci, Rachel Keller, Amber Rose Mason, Harper Hofstad. 2023. 105 minutes. Drama.
“RUMBLE THROUGH THE DARK”
Retired underground fighter Jack Boucher (Aaron Eckhart) is forced back into the blood sport when local mobsters threaten to destroy his family’s home. Spiraling in selfdestructive habits and indebted to crime boss Big Momma Sweet (Marianne Jean-Baptiste), the purveyor of an underground fight club, Jack must use his mighty fists to overcome the death-defying odds. Meanwhile, carnival fortuneteller Annette (Bella Thorne) discovers a life-changing amount of money, having previously belonged to Jack prior to his cage-fighting comeback.
Director: Parker Phillips. Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Bella Thorne, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Ritchie Coster, Virginia Newcomb, Derek Russo, Liz Fenning, Mike McColl. 2023. 116 minutes. Action.
“ON FIRE”
A struggling family man must guide his loved ones to safety after catastrophic wildfires destroy their home and community. Struggling but excited for their family’s future, couple Dave (Peter Facinelli) and pregnant wife Sarah (Fiona Dourif) eagerly await the bounties of Dave’s recently started contracting business. With initial business slow, the financial pressures build, but natural elements shake their plans irrevocably. Devastating wildfires engulf the California hillside around them, forcing the Laughlin family to flee, left on their own for survival. Alongside their teenage son, Clay (Asher Angel), and Dave’s live-in father, George (Lance Henriksen), Dave must steward his family to safety while the rapidly growing flames leave no time to prepare.
Director(s): Nick Lyon, Peter Facinelli. Stars: Peter Facinelli, Fiona Dourif, Asher Angel, Lance Henriksen, Glenn Morshower, Ashlei Foushee, Michael Vincent Berry, Cole Springer, Ammie Masterson. 2023. 80 minutes. Drama.