Brace your bank accounts, it’s time to see what’s Now Available to Own for the week of March 8, 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 The Peanuts Movie, In the Heart of the Sea, Victor Frankenstein, and more.
Movies on Blu-ray
The Peanuts Movie (Steve Martino) Rated G [88 min] – Snoopy embarks upon his greatest mission as he and his team take to the skies to pursue their arch-nemesis, while his best pal Charlie Brown begins his own epic quest back home to win the love of his life. Starring Noah Schnapp, Bill Melendez, and Hadley Belle Miller
I’ve never been a big Peanuts fan. The nostalgia of the comic strip and the classic hand-drawn animated films will always have a place in the back of my mind, but I’ve never been one to get excited over Snoopy and Charlie Brown. The Peanuts Movie is a sweet, honest, and genuine love letter to Charles M. Schulz’s characters. All of the lessons and the themes sprinkled within are a bit repetitive, but are heart warming and come from good intentions. The animation is unlike anything that’s been developed before. It’s unique and stands out from everything before it. The special features are all wonderfully detailed, giving true fans the chance to explore the world of the Peanuts gang as they embark on new heights.
Special features include:
- Snoopy Snippets
- You Never Grow Up Charlie Brown
- Snoopy’s Sibling Salute
- Learn To Draw Snoopy, Woodstock and Charlie Brown
- Get Down With Snoopy and Woodstock Music Video
- “Better When I’m Dancin'” Meghan Trainor Lyric Video
- “Better When I’m Dancin'” Megha
In the Heart of the Sea (Ron Howard) Rated PG-13 [2h 2min] – A recounting of a New England whaling ship’s sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later inspired the great novel Moby-Dick. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Cillian Murphy, Brendan Gleeson, Ben Whishaw, Tom Holland, and Benjamin Walker
I almost turned this movie off because of how much I disagree with whaling. But I gave it a chance and kept trudging through, which is kind of how the entire movie feels. In the Heart of the Sea is a very laborious viewing experience. The green and brown sheen of the film’s coloring tries really hard to wash away the gritty ugliness of this profession with little success. Nothing about their plight against the famed white whale is rather interesting or told in a way to make us care about their outcome. And the fact we learn about the “untold” story only to discover that it was never published feels empty and meaningless after we spent all that time hearing about it. There is some depth to the 3D thanks to Ron Howard’s keen eye as a filmmaker, but that factor cannot be the film’s saving grace. And the coloring doesn’t help bring more vivid depth either. While the special features make it appear as though they spent a lot of work into this movie, you kind of wonder why they couldn’t have spent even more time developing a more interesting story.
Special features include:
- Whale Tales: Melville’s Untold Story
- The Hard Life of a Whaler
- Chase & Pollard: A Man of Means and A Man of Courage
- LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE: The Real-Life Sequel to Moby Dick
- Commanding the Heart of the Sea
- Deleted and Extended Scenes
- Ron Howard: Captain’s Log
Victor Frankenstein (Paul McGuigan) Rated PG-13 [110 min] – Told from Igor’s perspective, we see the troubled young assistant’s dark origins, his redemptive friendship with the young medical student Viktor Von Frankenstein, and become eyewitnesses to the emergence of how Frankenstein became the man – and the legend – we know today Starring Daniel Radcliffe, James McAvoy, and Jessica Brown Findlay
Victor Frankenstein asks a real hard question: would you rather eat dirt for the rest of your life or have a horse kick you in the balls once a day? And it’s one you must answer when you decide to watch this film because that’s how it makes you feel. The film is hardly inventive despite wanting to be a re-imaginging of the classic monster thriller. This movie is stitched together more poorly than Frankentstein’s monster itself. Everything about it is spastic and chaotic, with little ingenuity and delight. Not even the ridiculous performances from McAvoy and Radcliffe can keep you from wanting to find a windmill to hide in and burn it to the ground with yourself inside.
Special features include:
- Deleted Scenes – Blu-ray Exclusive
- The Making of Victor Frankenstein
- Galleries – Production Design, Production Photography and Behind-The-Scenes
- Theatrical trailer
Macbeth (2015) (Justin Kurzel) Rated R [113 min] – Macbeth, a Thane of Scotland, receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. Consumed by ambition and spurred to action by his wife, Macbeth murders his king and takes the throne for himself. Starring Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, and Jack Madigan
Skip this movie. Everything about Macbeth will be forgotten because it’s such a waste of everyone’s time and talents. Other than the cinematography, this movie brings nothing to the table. There is no entertainment value, the performances are mediocre if you could even understand what they’re saying, and the direction is slow and excruciating.
Special features include:
- Q&A with Michael Fassbender
- “Making Macbeth” featurette
Victoria (Sebastian Schipper) Unrated [138 min] – While on holiday in Berlin, a young woman finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals its secret: the four men owe someone a dangerous favor that requires repaying that evening. Starring Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, and Burak Yigit
If you believe Emmanuel Lubezki’s single take shots in Birdman, Gravity, and The Revenant, which they are, you need to get a copy of Victoria as soon as possible. This movie is actually filmed in one long, continuous take without any editing involved. The craftmanship and thrilling second half is a level of filmmaking that is beyond belief. And the fact that Victoria is a competent film, with characters that feel fleshed out within just the time we spend with them, is a huge accomplishment. There’s no doubt that editing could have helped make this feel like a tighter film, but overall, the success in what Schipper has created is spellbinding.
Special features include:
- No special features included
DVD ONLY
Grease Live! (Thomas Kail, Alex Rudzinski) Rated TV-14 [180 min] – After enjoying a summer romance, high school students Danny and Sandy are unexpectedly reunited when she transfers to Rydell High. There Sandy must contend with cynical Rizzo and the Pink Ladies in attempt to win Danny’s heart again. Starring Julianne Hough, Aaron Tveit, Vanessa Hudgens, Carlos PenaVega, Elle McLemore, Carly Rae Jepsen, Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer, and Ana Gasteyer
I unfortunately did not have the chance to watch Grease Live! because I didn’t want to sit through the commercial breaks. Having the chance to review this now makes me feel incredibly silly because I wish I could have been involved in the conversation during its premiere. The performances from Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens are truly fantastic; and although no one can touch the high notes of Travolta – or whatever those noises he made were – Tveit does a decent Zuko. The production has a lot of vibrant energy and thrills because of its live nature, and there are some scenes that make you hold on to your breath because of how close they could have been to screwing up some of the stunts. Grease Live! will never live up to the magic of the original, but the fact that this was so well done is truly a sight to behold.
Special features include:
- Live television production
- Without a Net: Performing GREASE LIVE!
- Becoming the “T-Birds” and Pink Ladies
- Greasin’ up the Joint
- Be-Bop, Swing and Jitterbug: The Choreography of GREASE LIVE!
- When Was Your First…?
- My Favorite Grease Moment
Blu-Ray Deals and Steals
- Carol – $17.99
- Minions – $18.49
- Cowboy Bebop (The Complete Series) – $27.99
- Room – $14.99
- Self/Less – $13.99
- Evil Dead 2 – $4.75
- Mud – $4.75
- Gravity – $8
- Insidious: Chapter 3 – $9.18
- Interstellar – $8
- Thor: The Dark World – $18.99
- John Wick – $8
- Freddy vs. Jason – $5.89
- Man of Steel – $9.96
- Glee (Season 4) – $10
- Penguins of Madagascar – $10
- The Usual Suspects – $4.75
- West Side Story – $10.98
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