Stuff We Love
STUFF TO WATCH
The Addams Family [Universal, D $30 | BD $35] Reconnect with Gomez (Oscar Isaac), Morticia (Charlize Theron), Wednesday (Chloë Grace Moretz), Pugsley (Finn Wolfhard), Fester (Nick Kroll) Grandmama (Bette Midler) and Cousin Itt (Snoop Dogg) in this modern macabre family comedy. MGM’s update on the characters, directed by Conrad Vernon and Greg Tiernan, pits the outlandish clan against a reality TV host (Allison Janney) with a passion for conformity. The release includes deleted/extended scenes, BTS featurettes and lyric videos for original tracks ‘Haunted Heart’ and ‘My Family.’ [Jan. 21] Joker [WB, D $29 | BD $36 | 4K $30] The impact of director Todd Phillips’ unnervingly realistic origin story for the iconic Batman villain, and the ferocious performance given by star Joaquin Phoenix, have been talked up plenty since the film’s award-winning Venice film fest premiere, so I won’t belabor the point. But! The pic is also a bit of a masterclass on the pervasiveness (and near-invisibility) of modern VFX work. From dressing a believable 1980s Gotham to finessing the film’s more brutal moments, there’s a lot more CG wizardry going on than a single viewing would reveal. [Jan. 7]
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil [Disney, BD $25 | 4K $30] Angelina Jolie is back in black and flexing her dark fairy wings with even more effects power. Helmed by Joachim Rønning, the sequel sees Maleficent living a peaceful life as protectress of the Moors, until Aurora (Elle Fanning) announces her engagement, and her new mother-in-law (Michelle Pfeiffer) devises a plan to permanently part the worlds of humans and fairies. Special features include extended scenes, outtakes, an illuminating VFX reel and deeper dives into the film’s magical world. Fans can also opt for the Best Buy SteelBook set or the Target exclusive with filmmaker gallery book. [Jan. 14]
Summer Days with Coo [Shout!, BD $27] When fourth-grader Koichi accidentally picks up a long-hibernating baby Kappa, the two become the best of friends! But, the creature dubbed Coo struggles to adjust to life in suburban Tokyo and gets homesick, spurring Koichi to take Coo on one final road trip adventure in search of other Kappa. This earlier film by Keiichi Hara (Miss
Hokusai) and studio Shin-Ei is getting a sleek Blu-ray treatment from GKIDS, with deleted scenes and premiere Q&A with the cast. [Jan. 21]
More to love… Gemini Man [Paramount];
Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl - Battle Dimension Complete Collection [WB];
Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy, Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro 4K, God Mazinger: The Complete Collection, Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo: The Complete Series [Discotek]; Space Dandy: The Complete Series, Yu Yu Hakusho: The Complete Third Season [FUNimation]; JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Pt. 2 LE [VIZ]; Edison & Leo BD [Bayview] … and the very meta SRS Cinema release
Bad CGI Sharks. The Art of Death