Now Available to Own: Taken 3, Everly, Cake, and More

Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of April 21, 2015. Every Tuesday we run down new movie, television, and video game releases that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, as well as some slick deals that can save you some coin. New on shelves this week are Taken 3, Everly, Cake, and more, which you can find after the jump.

Movies on Blu-ray

Taken 3 (Olivier Megaton) Rated PG-13 [109 min] – Ex-government operative Bryan Mills is accused of a ruthless murder he never committed or witnessed. As he is tracked and pursued, Mills brings out his particular set of skills to find the true killer and clear his name. Starring Liam Neeson, Forest Whitaker, Maggie Grace, and Famke Janssen

I can say this, Taken 3 is a step above Taken 2, but just barely. The movie is still incapable of capturing the same magic the first Taken had and its littered share of problems. It’s overly convoluted, the action is shot poorly, and much of it doesn’t make a lick of sense. However, it’s sort of fun to watch Neeson and Whitaker trade lines. They’re the only takeaways from this whole ordeal. Special features included are:

The Unrated Cut (Blu-ray Only)
Deleted Scene – “Flashback Malankov”
Sam’s Bunker A.K.A. The Rabbit Hole
Taken to L.A.
A Taken Legacy
Gallery

Everly (Joe Lynch) Rated R [92 min] – An action/thriller centered on a woman who faces down assassins sent by her ex, a mob boss, while holed up in her apartment. Starring Salma Hayek, Jennifer Blanc, Uros Certic, and Togo Igawa

Sadly I have not had the opportunity presented to me to see Everly. From what I know and the few bits I’ve seen, the movie looks like it’s quite a hoot. I can tell that it isn’t as brooding as John Wick, but just as crazy and full of energy. Special features included are:

Creative Feature Commentary with Director Joe Lynch
Co-Producer Brett Hedblom and Editor Evan Schiff
Technical Feature Commentary with Director Joe Lynch and Cinematographer Steve Gainer
“Silent Night” music video by Raya Yarbrough & Bear McCreary, directed by Joe Lynch.

Cake (Daniel Barnz) Rated R [102 min] – Claire becomes fascinated by the suicide of a woman in her chronic pain support group while grappling with her own, very raw personal tragedy. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Adriana Barraza, Anna Kendrick, and Sam Worthington

I have not had the time of day to watch this yet, but from what I read in headlines and have heard, Cake is a fine film, nothing special. Based on the performances last year, I think that Aniston’s Oscar chances were blown way out of proportion compared to her competition. I do find the story to be interesting and I would like to sit down and check it out when I have tie. Special features includes:

The Many Layers of Cake: Learning to Live Again
The Icing on the Cake: Meet the Cast
Theatrical Trailer

Escape from New York: Collector’s Edition (John Carpenter) Rated R [99 min] – In 1997, when the US President crashes into Manhattan, now a giant maximum security prison, a convicted bank robber is sent in for a rescue. Starring Kurt Russell, Lee Van Cleef, and Ernest Borgnine

It’s been awhile since I’ve seen Escape from New York, but I don’t remember it being as iconic to my childhood as some. I think it may just be the time I watched it. A lot of it doesn’t hold up, but true fans of the film will really enjoy these special features:

NEW 2K High Definition scan of the inter-positive, struck from the original negative
NEW Audio Commentary with actress Adrienne Barbeau and directory of photography Dean Cundey
Audio Commentary with director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell
Audio Commentary by producer Debra Hill and production designer Joe Alves
NEW Big Challenges in Little Manhattan: The Visual Effects of Escape From New York
NEW Scoring the Escape: A Discussion with composer Alan Howarth
NEW On Set with John Carpenter: The Images of Escape From New York with photographer Kim Gottlieb-Walker
NEW I Am Taylor – an interview with actor Joe Unger
NEW My Night on the Set – an interview with filmmaker David DeCoteau
Deleted Scene: The Original Opening Bank Robbery Sequence
Return to Escape from New York Featurette
Theatrical Trailers
Photo Galleries – Behind-the-Scenes, Posters and Lobby Cards

A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour) Unrated [99 min] – In the Iranian ghost-town Bad City, a place that reeks of death and loneliness, the townspeople are unaware they are being stalked by a lonesome vampire. Starring Sheila Vand, Arash Marandi, and Marshall Manesh

I have yet to see this movie, but I’ve heard great things. Special features includes:

70-page Booklet with the First Issue of the Graphic Novel and Essay by Eric Kohn
Behind-the-scenes Documentary
Deleted Scenes
Interview with Ana Lily Amirpour
Location Scouting
Makeup Tests
Stills Gallery
Trailer

Television Releases

Teen Titans Go! (Season 1) (Arnold Drake, George Pérez, and Marv Wolfman) – Superhero roommates Robin, Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Beast Boy love save the day, but what happens when they’re done fighting crime? Starring Greg Cipes, Scott Menville, Khary Payton, Tara Strong, and Hynden Walch

I’ve only seen a few episodes from the first half of season two since it released last week, but from what I’ve consumed I really like. There’s this weird sense of borderline crude adult humor that has all the fun of Adventure Time with DC superheroes. The voice cast is great and the shenanigans this group gets into is pretty enjoyable. No special features included.