Jack Black ignites ‘Goosebumps’
Other releases this week include “The Assassin, ““Meet the Patels” and “The Looking Glass.”
It could have been another dismal kid-lit adaptation but thanks to Jack Black, “Goosebumps” (2015, Sony, PG, $30) really cooks.
The actor plays author R.L. Stine who, with his daughter (Odeya Rush) and her new boyfriend (Dylan Minnette) in tow, must figure out how to stuff his creations, including ghouls, aliens and werewolves, back into the manuscripts from whence they came.
Sure, this monster mash is overcrowded. But even when “Goosebumps” threatens to derail, Black keeps firing on all cylinders. Extras: deleted scenes, featurettes and blooper reel.
ALSO NEW THIS WEEK
The Assassin (2015, WellGo, unrated, $25): For his first film in eight years, Taiwanese master Hou Hsiao-Hsien (“Flowers of Shanghai”) turns to the tale of a morally conflicted hit woman (Shu Qi) in 9th century China with doubts about her profession. Those doubts multiply when she finds out that her latest target is a politician (Chang Chen) who also happens to be her first love. Rarely has a martial arts movie looked as good as this drama which alternates eerily quiet sequences with bursts of action. But even though the story is simple, it’s told so confusingly, with so many digressions, that it loses much of its impact. “The Assassin” is gorgeous but empty. Extras: featurettes. Meet The Patels (2015, Al
chemy, PG, $20): In this amiable if slight documentary, actor and co-director Ravi Patel attempts to find an Indian wife with help from his matchmaking parents. Nearing 30 and recently split from his non-Indian girlfriend of two years, Ravi submits to dozens of arranged dates and even attends a dating convention. But Ms. Right eludes him. “Meet The Patels” is stolen by Patel’s dad Vasant who’s such a winning presence that it is easy to forgive the film its occasion repetitiousness. Extras: featurettes. Jem And The Holograms (2015, Universal, PG, $30): Individuality is the theme of this teen musical
but director John M. Chu supplies nothing but clichés. A likeable Aubrey Peeples stars as a teenager who posts a music video that goes viral, making her easy pickings for an unscrupulous record company exec (Juliette Lewis.) No sooner does Lewis give Jem and her sisters/ bandmates makeovers than she’s trying to drive a wedge between the girls. Snore. The lone bright spot is Lewis who has a blast playing the villain, once again proving she can make something out of the flimsiest of roles. Extras: deleted scenes, gag reel, featurettes, music video and Chu commentary. The Looking Glass (2015, First Run, unrated, $25): Actress Dorothy Tristan (“Scarecrow” ) returns to the screen for the first time in thirty years with this finely observed character study about a former actress who bonds with her troubled granddaughter (Grace Tarnow.) Tristan, who wrote the screenplay, layers the saga with plenty of subplots but at its heart, “The Looking Glass” is about the passing on of knowledge from one generation to the next. Despite a drawn-out ending, the movie is electrified by lyrical direction from John Hancock (“Bang The Drum Slowly”) and rich performances by Tristan and Tarnow. Extras: featurettes.
••• Contracted Phase II (2015, Shout Factory, unrated, $30): Beginning a few seconds after the finale of the first “Contracted,” the follow-up is essentially a less involving, gorier remake of the original. The focus is on the newly infected Riley (Matt Mercer) as he races around Los Angeles trying to find the source of his disease while also struggling to protect his grandma from contracting it. On the bodyhorror front, Riley digs a live worm out of neck while his gal pal pops out an eye
along with her contact. Icky, icky, icky. Extras: none. Lyfe’s Journey (2015, Alchemy, unrated, $25): One dumb mistake costs an executive (Keith Robinson) his family and financial wellbeing in this faith-based film that originally aired on Up TV. After getting fired, Robinson has an affair with a woman he meets in a bar and soon finds his life spiraling out of control. He’s reduced to residing in his car when a minister (Richard T. Jones) shows him how to get back on track. There’s plenty of logic gaps but “Lyfe’s Journey” does a good job of illustrating how quickly anyone, even a seemingly well-off banker, can slide into poverty. Ex--
tras: none. Wind Across The Everglades (1958, Warner Archive, unrated, $20): Three years after “Rebel Without a Cause,” director Nicholas Ray turned his attention to this strangely compelling tale which pits a turn-of-the-century wildlife warden (Christopher Plummer) against a ruthless South Florida hunter (Burl Ives). To capture Ives and protect the region’s birds, Plummer must go deep into the swamps where the poacher and his gang reside. Filmed entirely on location in the glades, the movie is long on atmosphere and short on plot. Still, this unique movie qualifies as one of the first ecological thrillers ever
made, and that alone makes it essential viewing. Extras: none. The Devil Wears Prada: 10th Anniversary Edition (2006, Fox, PG-13 $15): Boasting plenty of bounce and bite, David Frankel’s snazzy fashion-industry satire focuses on a plucky new hire (Anne Hathaway) at Runway magazine who must survive working for Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), her Anna Wintourish nightmare of a boss. It’s Hathaway’s story but Streep pockets the movie by managing to both humanize Miranda and make her funny as hell. “Devil” is even more delightful than you remember it. Extras: gag reel, deleted scenes, featurettes and commentaries. From The Terrace (1960, Twilight Time, unrated, $30): What is the price of success? That’s the question explored in this new-toBlu-ray adaptation of John O’Hara’s sprawling potboiler. Paul Newman stars as a veteran of World War II with a chip on his shoulder and ambition to burn. He marries the society woman (Joanne Woodward) he loves and lands a dream job but soon discovers that balancing a personal life with an allconsuming career is not as it easy as it seems. Director Mark Robson would go on to helm soap operas like “Valley of the Dolls” and “Peyton Place” but, in this film, he keeps the suds to a mini- mum while drawing compelling turns from Newman and Woodward. Extras: none. Kansas City Confidential (1952, Film Chest, unrated, $15): One of Quentin Tarantino’s chief inspirations for “Reservoir Dogs” gets a nifty spit and polish job for its latest Blu-ray incarnation. John Payne stars as an ex-con who finds himself framed for a robbery perpetrated by, among others, Jack Elam, Neville Brand, Lee Van Cleef. After he’s cleared, Payne heads to Mexico to lower the boom on the bad guys who set him up. Noir specialist Phil Karlson knows how to tighten the screws of suspense without sacrificing any grit and grime. Extras: none.