Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of February 16, 2016. 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 Black Mass, Steve Jobs, The 33, Trumbo, and more.
Movies on Blu-ray
Steve Jobs (Danny Boyle) Rated R [122 min] – Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint a portrait of the man at its epicenter. Starring Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet, Seth Rogen, Jeff Daniels, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Katherine Waterston
Review: Steve Jobs is without a doubt the film that flew under all radars last year. Its two biggest stars, Michael Fassbender and Kate Winslet, have both been nominated for Oscars this year, and yet the film barely made over $1 million more than Ashton Kutcher’s Jobs – not even grossing $18 million domestically. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the dialogue is nothing short of spellbinding. The way it is staged feels like a gripping theater epic. And the level of intensity that builds throughout the film’s tight, three act structure is on its own plane of existence. I was fascinated by every second of this movie and hope it finds a wider audience on home video.
Special features include:
- Inside Jobs: The Making of Steve Jobs
- Feature Commentary with Director Danny Boyle
- Feature Commentary with Writer Aaron Sorkin and Editor Elliot Graham
Black Mass (Scott Cooper) Rated R [122 min] – The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf. Starring Johnny Depp, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Edgerton, Jesse Plemons, Dakota Johnson, Adam Scott, Kevin Bacon, Peter Sarsgaard, Corey Stoll, David Harbour, and Julianne Nicholson
Review: While I believe this is one of Johnny Depp’s best roles he’s embodied in quite some time, Black Mass unfortunately isn’t as compelling as the actor’s performance. There is a lack of urgency that steers the narrative into many lulls that makes the two hour run time feel like a chore. Black Mass takes its sweet time to work itself up to minor plot points with little to say about Whitey and his criminal organization. The most magical moment of the entire film is listening to Benedict Cumberbatch try and pull off a Boston accent. It’s not a terrible movie, it’s average at best, but it doesn’t really add anything new to the mafia genre.
Special features include:
- The Manhunt for Whitey Bulger
- Johnny Depp: Becoming Whitey Bulger
- Black Mass: Deepest Cover, Darkest Crime
The 33 (Patricia Riggen) Rated PG-13 [127 min] – Based on the real-life event, when a gold and copper mine collapses, it traps 33 miners underground for 69 days. Starring Antonio Banderas, Rodrigo Santoro, and Juliette Binoche
Review: If you can get past the fact that 98% of The 33 is in English while set in the the country of Chile then you are a very forgiving person. After awhile I gave up caring and let the movie tell its story based on the true events from 2010. What is presented is your typical biopic drama with better than expected performances. Each character is established in the briefest fashion before we are thrust into caring about them based on a singular attribute – one’s a father to be, another with an estranged sister, one is two week’s from retirement, one is from Bolivia, etc. However, as previously hinted at, the actors do a top notch job with what little they are given. They play into their emotions to present a fair reaction to the dire situation, but sadly the screenplay is too generic to believe The 33 came away a stronger group of friends after the incident.
Special features include:
- The Mine Collapse
- The 33: The World Was Watching
- Theatrical Trailer
Trumbo (Jay Roach) Rated R [124 min] – In 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood’s top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs. Starring Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, John Getz, David James Elliot, Alan Tudyk, Louis C.K., James DuMont, John Goodman, Stephen Root, and Elle Fanning
Review: For the life of me, I can’t exactly understand why Trumbo is getting as much awards play as it has. It’s an adequate, paint-by-numbers biopic that rests on the shoulders of Bryan Cranston and a few solid cameos by Helen Mirren and John Goodman. My biggest complaint is that it’s overly long and feels like two separate films: the story behind Trumbo’s advocacy for Communism and his plight to write in the shadows of Hollywood while blacklisted. While both plot points tell inherently serviceable stories on their own merits, they don’t feel completely cohesive as a singular entity. Trumbo is, however, surprisingly a nice film to double feature in front of Hail, Caesar!.
Special features include:
- Who is Trumbo?
- Bryan Cranston Becomes Trumbo
Additional Releases this Week
- Girls (Season 4)
- Togetherness (Season 1)
- Peaky Blinders (Season 2)
- The Andy Griffith Show: The Complete Series (DVD Only)
- Family Matters (Season 5) (DVD Only)
- Sabrina the Teenage Witch: The Complete Series (DVD Only)
Blu-Ray Deals and Steals
- Snowpiercer – $6.99
- Ender’s Game (4K Edition) – $17.99
- The Assassin (2015) – $14.99
- Mr. Holmes – $13
- Better Call Saul (Season 1) – $19.99
- Howard the Duck – $9.99
- The African Queen – $6
- Fifty Shades of Grey – $12.99
- Moonrise Kingdom – $5
- The Little Mermaid – $19.99
- American Pie (4-Film Collection) – $17.99
- Babe – $5
- Dallas Buyer’s Club – $5
- Meet the Parents – $5
- Young Adult – $5
- Scott Pilgram vs. The World – $7.99
- John Wick – $8.99
- Jaws – $7.88
- Her – $11.96
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!
All plot synopses come courtesy of IMDb.com