Now Available to Own: Ant-Man, Minions, Under the Dome, and More

Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of December 8, 2015. Every Tuesday we run down new movie and television releases that you can enjoy in the comfort of your own home, as well as some slick deals that can help save you some coin. New on shelves this week are Ant-Man, Minions, Under the Dome, Knock Knock, The X-Files, and more.

Ant-Man Shrinking

Source: MTV

Movies on Blu-ray

Ant-Man (Peyton Reed) Rated PG-13 [117 min] – Armed with a super-suit with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, con-man Scott Lang must embrace his inner hero and help his mentor, Dr. Hank Pym, plan and pull off a heist that will save the world. Starring Paul Rudd, Michael Douglas, Corey Stoll, Evangeline Lilly, and Michael Peña [Watch the trailer]

Ant-Man should have joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe sandbox sooner. It’s a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of the weighty sequels where the Earth always seems to be in danger for some reason. And the fact that Hank Pym and Janet Van Dyne, two of the founding members of the Avengers in the comics, didn’t get their moment to shine until now is unfortunate. Despite all the ugly behind the scenes debacles and the prolonged production history, Ant-Man turned out to be a very fun entry into the MCU that proves it can hang with the big boys.

Special features include:

  • Audio Commentary with Peyton Reed and Paul Rudd
  • Making Of An Ant-Sized Heist: Set your watch and count down the action in this behind-the-scenes look at how to pull off a heist movie, including Scott Lang’s heist “family,” Ant-Man’s costume, plus amazing stunts and effects.
  • Let’s Go To The Macroverse: Shrink down to size in this fascinating look at creating the world from Ant-Man’s perspective, from macro photography through the subatomic.
  • WHIH NewsFront: A collection of content, including a glimpse at the future of Pym Technologies with Darren Cross, anchor Christine Everhart’s interview with soon-to-be-released prisoner Scott Lang on his notorious VistaCorp heist, and more.
  • Never-Before-Seen Deleted Scenes
  • Gag Reel

Knock Knock (Eli Roth) Rated R [99 min] – When a devoted husband and father is left home alone for the weekend, two stranded young women unexpectedly knock on his door for help. What starts out as a kind gesture results in a dangerous seduction and a deadly game of cat and mouse. Starring Keanu Reeves, Lorenza Izzo, and Ana de Armas [Watch the Trailer]

A remake of the 1977 thriller, Death Game, Eli Roth’s Knock Knock doesn’t quite have the oomph I was expecting or hoping for. Premiering at this year’s Sundance Film Festival it sounded like there was some decent buzz for the film, so I was intrigued. Having the chance to see it now, I have to say I’m not very impressed. It’s beautifully shot in the closed quarters of the ritzy LA home, but the plot is rather thin and the characters are very weak. The cast come off cartoonish, playing to their characters extremes, which skews the dark tone of the film. Knock Knock wants to be this disturbing thriller with a hard message and yet it borders on parody because it doesn’t take itself that seriously. Not even the audio commentary helps put perspective on where Roth was going with it.

Special features include:

  • Audio Commentary by Eli Roth, Lorenza Izo, Nicolás López and Colleen Camp
  • Deleted Scenes with Optional Audio Commentary by Eli Roth
  • “The Art of Destruction: The Making of Knock Knock” Featurette
  • Still Gallery

The Transporter Refueled (Camille Delamarre) Rated PG-13 [96 min] – In the south of France, former special-ops mercenary Frank Martin enters into a game of chess with a femme-fatale and her three sidekicks who are looking for revenge against a sinister Russian kingpin. Starring Ed Skrein, Loan Chabanol, Ray Stevenson, and Lenn Kudrjawizki

It’s not going to refuel The Transporter franchise if that’s what you’re thinking. There are some decent action set pieces, but everything else is pretty much a complete embarrassment. From the dialogue to the acting to the plot, nothing about this reboot justifies its existence. The charisma of the Statham Transporters is lost in translation.

Special features include:

  • Frank Martin: The Reluctant Hero
  • The Coeur Brise: Les Femmes of Refueled (Blu-ray Only)
  • Rocketing from 0-60 (Blu-ray Only)

One Eyed Girl (Nick Matthews) Unrated [102 min] – Travis, is a thirty-something psychiatrist haunted by the death of a former patient. On the brink of a nervous breakdown he stumbles across a group run by a charismatic leader, Father Jay. In search of answers, Travis is led deeper and deeper into the underworld of a Doom’s Day cult where he meets Grace, a mysterious teenage girl. When the cult comes under attack from the outside world, Travis must risk his life to free a girl, and save his soul. Starring Sara West, Steve Le Marquand, and Tilda Cobham-Hervey

I didn’t really know what to expect when I popped One Eyed Girl into my over-priced Blu-ray machine that I haven’t even used to play games on yet PS4. I hadn’t watched the trailer nor did I pay any attention to the synopsis. I just dove right in. What it lacks in energy, personality, and good pacing, One Eyed Girl makes up for in thought proving melodrama and layered characters. It’s a slow burn that doesn’t quite bring a return on your time investment, but it shows a lot of promise for the first time director, Nick Matthews.

  • No special features included

DVD Only

The Unauthorized Full House Story (Brian K. Roberts) Rated TV-PG [88 min] – From its start as an unassuming family comedy in 1987 to its eventual wildly popular 192-episode run, the film centers on the rise of the cast of one of America’s most beloved family sitcoms and the pressures they faced in balancing their television personas with their real lives. Starring Garrett Brawith, Justin Mader, and Justin Gaston

This unauthorized Lifetime dramatization of the behind the scenes of Full House is absolutely bizarre. I’m not quite sure those involved were thinking clearly enough to realize how bad it would turn out. It’s a trainwreck. The dialogue is beyond comprehension while the cast delivers enough cheese to kill the lovable pizza rat.

  • No special features included
Under the Dome Season 3

Source: TV.com

TV Show Releases

Under the Dome: Season 3 (Brian K. Vaughan) Rated TV-14 [43 min] – An invisible and mysterious force field descends upon a small fictional town of Chester’s Mill, Maine, USA, trapping residents inside, cut off from the rest of civilization. The trapped townsfolk must discover the secrets and purpose of the “dome” and its origins, while coming to learn more than they ever knew about each other. Starring Mike Vogel, Rachelle Lefevre, Alexander Koch

Under the Dome is what Lost would have be if audiences actually didn’t care about the many unanswered questions it decided to carry on its shoulders throughout the show’s lifespan. The third and final season of Under the Dome isn’t the ending we needed, but the one we deserve because who thought a plot point from The Simpsons Movie could be dragged out for 39-episodes? Stephen King obviously did, and it worked in his favor since it became a TV show. The best thing that we can say Under the Dome helped accomplish is provide people work to help feed their families.

Special features include:

  • Extended and Deleted Scenes
  • Return To The Dome: A Look At Season 3
  • Life Under The Dome: Behind-The-Scenes of Season 3
  • The Season Finale
  • The Device
  • Meet Indy The Dog
  • Gag Reel

The X-Files: The Complete Series (Chris Carter) Rated TV-MA [44 min] – Two FBI agents, Fox Mulder the believer and Dana Scully the skeptic, investigate the strange and unexplained while hidden forces work to impede their efforts. Starring David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, and Mitch Pileggi

I didn’t get this sent to me to review, but I’d love to revisit this show one of these days. This box set has EVERYTHING.

Special features include:

 

Family Guy Season 13 [DVD Only] (Seth MacFarlane) Rated TV-14 [22 min] – In a wacky Rhode Island town, a dysfunctional family strive to cope with everyday life as they are thrown from one crazy scenario to another. Starring Seth MacFarlane, Alex Borstein, Seth Green, Mila Kunis, and Mike Henry

When will this show die? Sure, Family Guy had an amazing come back after it was cancelled and then brought back, but it’s witticisms and immaturely crude humor has become stale. And the 13th season of this series proves it. There’s nothing about Family Guy that makes me want to return to the Griffins, they have no redeeming qualities and the rest of the town of Quahog is incomparable to South Park or Springfield.

Special features include:

  • On the Road to Springfield Featurette: The Making of “The Simpsons Guy
  • Commentary on “The Simpsons Guy
  • Commentary on “Turkey Guys”
  • Commentary on “The 2000 Year-Old Virgin”
  • Commentary on “Stewie, Chris, & Brian’s Excellent Adventure”
  • Commentary on “Once Bitten”
  • Commentary on “Roasted Guy
  • Deleted Scenes
  • Baby Ways
  • Who Let the Dog Out

 

Additional Releases this Week

  • Minions
  • Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 2
  • Hannibal: Season 3
  • The Wild Thornberrys (DVD Only)

Blu-Ray Deals and Steals

  • Iron Man 3 – $9.99
  • Spy – $9.99
  • The Avengers – $9.99
  • Despicable Me – $8
  • Despicable Me 2 – $10
  • Arrow: Season 3 – $24.99
  • Fullmetal Alchemist: The Complete Series – $31.49
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas – $9.96
  • Megamind – $5.99
  • The Little Mermaid – $19.99
  • Cars 2 – $11.99
  • Ted – $9.96
  • Mad Men: Season 5 – $7.99
  • Toy Story 3 – $17.99
  • WALL-E – $14.99

All prices from Amazon.com. Best Buy, Frys, and Target all price match online prices.

What will you be taking home this week? Tell us in the comments section below!


new movie tv video game releases on dvd and-blu-ray

All plot synopses come courtesy of IMDb.com

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