Mill Creek Ent., NOT RATED; 100 minutes; Amazon

Now available on Blu-ray + Digital from Mill Creek Entertainment is 2017's science fiction horror film Flora. Written and directed by Sasha Louis Vukovic, the film stars Teresa Marie Doran, Sari Mercer, Miles G. Jackson, and Caleb Noel. 

The low-budget film has been an "Official Selection" in over 10 International Film Festivals.

Flora centers around a group of Ivy League botanists students going on a months-long expedition in a forest. Soon after their arrival, they learn that their professor has disappeared, leaving them with the choice of staying or leaving to get help. 

To make a somewhat long story short, the students have no choice but to stay at their camp. It seems there's a deadly organism growing in the forest and if you eat it or breathe it in, you'll quickly die. 

The students must either work together to find a cure or find a way to escape the horrors of the forest.

Special Features include:

• Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
• Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Commentary with Sasha Louis Vukovic, Teresa Marie Doran, and Dan Lin 

Summit; PG-13; 96 minutes; Amazon

Now available on Blu-ray from Summit Entertainment is the supernatural horror flick Down a Dark Hall. Directed by Rodrigo Cortés and produced by Stephenie Meyers (author of the Twilight Saga), the film stars AnnaSophia Robb, Uma Thurman, Victoria Moroles, Isabelle Fuhrman, Taylor Russell, Rosie Day, and Noah Silver.

Based on the book of the same name by the late Lois Duncan, Down a Dark Hall centers around a troubled teenager girl named Kit Gordy (played by AnnaSophia Robb) who is sent to the Blackwood Boarding School, which is ran by headmistress Madame Duret (played by Uma Thurman). Blackwood isn't your normal boarding school. There are only four other students - Ashley (Taylor Russell), Izzy (played by Isabelle Fuhrman), Sierra (played by Rosie Day), and Veronica (played by Victoria Moroles).

Shortly after arriving, Kit's ability to play the piano surfaces, which thrills the headmistress and her son Jules Duret, the music teacher (played by Noah Silver). However, Kit' sudden music talents scares her to death, as she hasn't played the piano in years and when she did, she wasn't very good at it.

The other students have "talents" that suddenly emerge, which slowly drives them crazy. As Kit begins to investigate the secrets of Blackwood, she unveils a hidden evil that wants to devour the students.

Special Features include:

• Welcome to Blackwood: Venturing Down a Dark Hall
• Deleted Scenes

RLJE; Not Rated; 91 minutes; Amazon

Now available on DVD from RLJ Entertainment is the horror film Sleep No More. Directed by Phillip Guzman and written by Jason Murphy, the film stars Keli Price, Brea Grant, Stephen Ellis, Christine Dwyer, Yasmine Aker, Lukas Gage, and James Hoare. There are no special features or bonus extras.

Set in the 1980s or 1990s (more on this later), Sleep No More centers around a small group of graduate students who volunteer to be to test subjects for a sleep study that's being conducted by Dr. Whatley (played by Yasmine Aker). This isn't your typical sleep study. Their goal is to prove the theory that once you've passed 200 hours without sleep, you'll never have to sleep again!

After one of the test subjects kills himself, the university wants to to close down the sleep study. Despite the objections to their research, the four remaining students, Joe (played by Keli Price), Frannie (played by Brea Grant), Dale (played by Stephen Ellis), and Holly (played by Christine Dwyer) decide to become guinea pigs under the supervision of Dr. Whatley. Dale would be the "control" of the study and the other three students would take a stay-awake type drug.

Their goal of staying awake for 200 hours comes with a price - a supernatural being, who begins tormenting the group. The longer they stay awake, the more deadly the threat becomes.

Disney; TV-G; 90 minutes

Now available on DVD from Disney Home Entertainment is the new musical Freaky Friday!

Based on the musical Freaky Friday: A New Musical by Bridget Carpenter, which is also based on the 1972 children's book "Freaky Friday" by Mary Rodgers, the 2018 Disney Channel film stars Cozi Zuehlsdorff as Ellie; Heidi Blickenstaff as Katherine; Ricky He as Adam; Alex Désert as Mike; and Jason Maybaum as Fletcher.

Directed by Steve Carr, the movie centers around teenager Ellie and her over-organized mother, Katherine, who accidentally switch bodies after they both touch a magical hourglasses at the same time. Of course, this event happens the day before Katherine's wedding to Mike Harper.

After breaking the hourglass (which was given to Ellie by her late father), they decide the best option to switch back to their own bodies is to track down the other hourglass that Ellie's father had given to Katherine. However, there is one problem, Katherine sold the hourglass to an antique store. 

Katherine and Ellie must live in the other's shoes for the entire day, until they can find the hourglass. Katherine has to go to school, deal with her daughter's bully, and participate in a scavenger hunt. Ellie must act like her mother so you can fool a wedding journalist and photographer. Plus, she has to help Mike with the last minute wedding decisions.

Bonus Features include:

• Bonus Track - "Not Myself Today"
• Blooper Reel
• Audition/Movie Song Mix Up
• "Today and Ev'ry Day" - Musical fun of the actual song mixed up with the audition/rehearsal footage.

Disney; PG-13; 135 mins; Walmart

Being released to Blu-ray (+Digital) this Tuesday from Disney Home Entertainment is the action-packed prequel Solo: A Star Wars Story. Directed by Ron Howard, the film stars Alden Ehrenreich, Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover, Thandie Newton, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Joonas Suotamo, and Paul Bettany.

Set many years before "Rogue One" and "A New Hope," Solo centers around a young Han Solo (played by Alden Ehrenreich) before he became a famous smuggler. While living on the planet Corellia, Han and his girlfriend Qi'ra (played by Emilia Clarke) try to bribe an Imperial officer with coaxium in exchange for passage on a transport ship. Unfortunately, Qi'ra is apprehended by a local gang before she could get on the ship. Han ends up joining the Imperial Navy, so he can learn how to be a pilot. He made a vow to himself that he would get his own spaceship and will one day return to Corellia to rescue Qi'ra.

Well, things didn't go as planned! Han gets kicked out Imperial Flight Academy and is sent to the planet Mimban as a infantryman. This is where he meets Tobias Beckett (played by Woody Harrelson), Val (played by Thandie Newton), and Rio Durant (voiced by Jon Favreau), a trio of smugglers posing as Imperial soldiers. After failing to blackmail them in letting him join their crew, Han is arrested for desertion and is tossed into a pit with a beast -  Chewbacca! Using his knowledge of the Wookiee language, Han and Chewbacca (played by Joonas Suotamo) formed an alliance, escaped the pit, and joined Beckett's crew on a train heist to steal a shipment of coaxium on Vandor-1.

Once again, things don't as planned, which leads Han to an unexpected reunion with Qi'ra. On his adventure, Han meets Lando Calrissian, he gets chased by the Enfys Nest pirates, and he gets to pilot the Millennium Falcon for the very first time.

Additionally, Solo: A Star Wars Story will be released to Blu-ray 4K Ultra HD™, DVD and On-Demand on September 25th. It's already available digitally in HD and 4K Ultra HD™ and on Movies Anywhere.

Blu-ray and Digital Special Features include (may vary by retailer):

• Solo: The Director & Cast Roundtable -Sit down with director Ron Howard and the stars for an intimate and entertaining discussion of the film’s making.
• Team Chewie - See what it takes to bring your favorite Wookiee to life in this lighthearted look behind the scenes.
• Kasdan on Kasdan - Iconic Star Wars screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan and son Jonathan share what it was like to write the movie’s script together.
• Remaking the Millennium Falcon - Track the transformation of the most famous ship in the galaxy, from Lando’s swank and impeccable pride and joy to Han’s stripped-down hot-rod freighter with “special modifications.”
• Escape from Corellia - Get behind the wheel for the making of this high-octane chase through the streets of Corellia.
• The Train Heist - Explore the challenges and thrills of creating this action-packed sequence, including its remote location and spectacular effects.
• Becoming a Droid: L3-37 - Meet the newest droid—and the talented actor who helps bring her to life.
• Scoundrels, Droids, Creatures and Cards: Welcome to Fort Ypso - Take an in-depth tour of the rough-and-tumble bar where strangers mix and gamblers risk all in the legendary card game, Sabaac.
• Into the Maelstrom: The Kessel Run - Join Han and Chewie at the controls of the Millennium Falcon to see how this legendary moment in Star Wars history unfolds.
• Deleted Scenes
• Proxima’s Den
• Corellian Foot Chase
• Han Solo: Imperial Cadet
• The Battle of Mimban: Extended
• Han Versus Chewie: Extended
• Snowball Fight!
• Meet Dryden: Extended
• Coaxium Double-Cross
• The Millenium Falcon: From Page to Park – An exclusive look at the history of the most famous ship in the galaxy, its origin and development, and how it will translate in one of the most anticipated expansions in Disneyland’s history.

Lionsgate; Rated R; 120 minutes

Arriving on Blu-ray (+Digital), DVD, and Digital on September 25th from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the Australian science fiction flick Occupation. Written & Directed by Luke Sparke, the film stars Dan Ewing, Temuera Morrison, Stephany Jacobsen, Zachary Garred, Izzy Stevens, Charles Mesure Boogeyman, Felix Williamson, Jacqueline McKenzie, Aaron Jeffery, and Bruce Spence.

Set in a small Australian town, the opening of the movie centers around the residents gathering around a hometown football game; well, until spaceships descend from the skies and start blowing everything up. A small group of survivors - Matt (played by Dan Ewing) and his girlfriend, Amelia (played by Stephany Jacobsen), Jackson (played by Charles Terrier) and his pregnant girlfriend Vanessa (played by Rhiannon Fish), Peter (played by Temuera Morrison) and his daughter, Isabella (played by Izzy Stevens), and a local farmer, Arnold (played by Charles Mesure), flee into the nearby forest, where they take shelter and plan a resistance against the invaders.

The invaders are extraterrestrial lifeforms from another world (or galaxy, as it was never really explained where they are from), who came to Earth to colonize Australia after they had already used up all the natural resources on their former planet. While they do kill many humans during the invasion, their main goal is capture and force the humans to grow and work field crops.

The remaining human survivors join forces with what's left of the Australian's military and they strike back against the alien invaders, in the hope of saving their country.

Dan Ewing ("Matt Simmons") stars in Lionsgate Home Entertainment's OCCUPATION.

Marvel; PG-13; 149 mins

Avengers: Infinity War, the biggest blockbuster of 2018, is arriving today on Multi-Screen Edition (Blu-ray + Digital) Code. It will also be available on 4K Cinematic Universe Edition, which includes a 4K Ultra HD disc, a Blu-ray, and a Digital Copy. The film is already available on Digital HD.

Directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo, the film stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Don Cheadle, Tom Holland, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Elizabeth Olsen, Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Danai Gurira, Letitia Wright, Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Josh Brolin, and Chris Pratt, all reprising their roles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Inspired by 1991's The Infinity Gauntlet comic and  2013's Infinity comic, the film centers around the Marvel villain Thanos (played by Josh Brolin) and his henchmen (Ebony Maw, Cull Obsidian, Proxima Midnight, and Corvus Glaive) on a quest to retrieve the Infinity Stones. Thanos already possesses the Power Stone, which was found on planet Xanda. The Space Stone from Tesseract is in the possession of Loki (played by Tom Hiddleston), who is on a spaceship with Thor (played by Chris Hemsworth), Bruce Banner / Hulk (played by Mark Ruffalo), and the Asgard survivors. Doctor Strange (played by Benedict Cumberbatch) has the Time Stone in New York City and Vision (played by Paul Bettany) has the Mind Stone implanted in his forehead. The Reality Stone is in the possession of the Collector on Knowhere and the Soul Stone is being guarded by Red Skull on the planet Vormir.

Thanos and his goons attack the Asgard ship and collects the Space Stone. Before dying, Heimdall (played by Idris Elba) sends Hulk to back to Earth. Thor barely survives the attack and is later rescued by the Guardian of the Galaxy. Along with Rocket (played by Bradley Cooper) and Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel), Thor travels to Nidavellir to create a weapon powerful enough to kill Thanos. Peter Quill (played by Chris Pratt), Gamora (played by Zoe Saldana), Drax (played by Dave Bautista), and Mantis (played by Pom Klementieff) travel to Knowhere to find the Reality Stone, but they arrive there too late.


Meanwhile, Doctor Stranger, Tony Stark / Iron Man (played by Robert Downey, Jr.), and Peter Parker / Spider-man (played by Tom Holland) get trapped aboard a spaceship after a battle in New York City against Thanos' lieutenants. The spaceship lands on the planet Titan, where they try to come up with a plan to remove Thanos' Infinity Gauntlet.


Back on Earth, Steve Rogers / Captain America (played by Chris Evans), Natasha Romanoff  / Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johansson), Sam Wilson / Falcon (played by Anthony Mackie), James Rhodes / War Machine (played by Don Cheadle), Vision, Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch (played by Elizabeth Olsen) and Bruce Banner travel to Wakanda to team up with Bucky Barnes / Winter Soldier (played by Sebastian Stan), T'Challa / Black Panther (played by Chadwick Boseman), and the Wakandan army, so they can battle Midnight, Obsidian, Glaive, and an army of creatures.


Special Features on the Blu-ray & Digital include:

• Strange Alchemy (5:08) – Share the thrill of characters from across the MCU meeting for the first time—and discover why some were teamed up together.
• The Mad Titan (6:34) – Explore the MCU’s biggest, baddest villain, his trail of influence through the stories, and the existential threat he represents.
• Beyond the Battle: Titan (9:36) – Dive into the climactic struggle on Thanos’ ruined world, including the epic stunts and VFX, to uncover the source of its power. 
• Beyond the Battle: Wakanda (10:58) – Go behind the scenes to find out how the filmmakers pulled off the most massive and challenging battle Marvel had ever attempted. 
• Deleted and Extended Scenes (10:07) 
• Happy Knows Best (1:23) – Tony and Pepper spar over the details of their upcoming wedding—until a hassled Happy Hogan pulls up with an urgent request.
• Hunt for the Mind Stone (1:24) – On a darkened street, Wanda Maximoff and the wounded Vision attempt to hide from Thanos’ brutal allies.
• The Guardians Get Their Groove Back (3:20) – As Peter Quill and Drax quarrel over their failed mission to Knowhere, Mantis interrupts with news.
• A Father’s Choice (4:00) – Thanos confronts Gamora with a vision from her past—and with lying to him about the Soul Stone. 
• Gag Reel (2:05) – Watch your favorite Super Heroes make super gaffes in this lighthearted collection of on-set antics.
• Audio Commentary (approx. 149 min.) by Anthony and Joe Russo, Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. 
• Digital Exclusive:
• A Directors’ Roundtable (approx. 32 min.) – Eight amazing directors reflect on how their movies contribute to the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s larger storytelling adventure. 

Lionsgate; R; 96 minutes; Amazon

Released to Blu-ray this past Tuesday from Lionsgate/Summit Entertainment is the thriller Traffik. And no, this isn't the Oscar-winning 2000 crime drama "Traffic" starring Michael Douglas. This film is directed by Deon Taylor and stars Paula Patton (who is also a producer), Omar Epps, Laz Alonso, Roselyn Sanchez, Luke Goss, Missi Pyle, and William Fichtner. The plot is about sex trafficking and not drug trafficking.

The film centers around Brea (played by Paula Patton), a journalist who has had a bit of trouble satisfying her editor (played by William Fichtner) with her recent articles. To cheer her up, her boyfriend, John (played by Omar Epps), takes her for a romantic getaway at a secluded mountain estate. Well, it was romantic before their friends Darren and Malia (played by Laz Alonso and Roselyn Sanchez) crashed their plans.

Things take a horrific twist when Brea realizes that a woman she bumped into at gas station restroom had accidentally put a satellite phone in her purse. Or was it on purpose? After solving the phone's password, Brea attempts to find the owners identity, but stumbles upon something terrifying!

There are dozens of profile photos of women in the the exact same pose. Brea, John, and their friends come to the conclusion that the phone belongs to someone involved in sex trafficking. Before they can contact the police, the owners of the phones come knocking at the their door.

Special Features on the Blu-ray include:

• Journey into the Depths: Making Traffik
• Deon & Dante: The Look of Traffik

Mill Creek Ent., Not Rated; 2 hrs 56 mins; $14.98

Do you remember back in the day when network television would air their weekly low-budget made-for-TV movies?

Unfortunately, I do remember watching a few of these movies during my childhood! Yes, there were a few decent movies once in a great while, but for the most part these films were extremely cheesy with horrible plots and really bad acting.

Now, the only reason why I'm talking about these type of movies is because I had recently watched the 1996 made-for-television movie Mother, May I Sleep with Danger and the 2016 horror remake, which are both currently available on a DVD Double Feature from Mill Creek Entertainment.

The original Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? Tori Spelling as Laurel Lewisohn, a college student who begins a romantic relationship with Kevin Shane (played by Ivan Sergei). Through her eyes, Kevin is a charming college classmate, but in reality he's a psychopath with a deadly past. Kevin easily convinces everyone in Laurel's life that he is the perfect boyfriend for her, well, everyone except for her mother, Jessica (played by Lisa Banes), who believes Kevin is dangerous. Despite her mother's objections, Laurel continues her relationship with Kevin, well, until, he becomes a little bit obsessed with her. By the time she tries to break it off with him, it might be too little, too late for her.

The 2016 version of Mother, May I Sleep with Danger? is less of a remake and more or a reimagining with a horror twist. Produced by James Franco (who also has a small part in the film), the remake drops the "boyfriend is obsessed with my daughter" plot for a vampire-lesbian love story. This time around Tori Spelling plays Julie, the mother of a college student named Leah (played by Leila George). Similar to the original, the daughter falls in love, but this time it's with a vampire, Pearl (played by Emily Meade), and of course the mother believes Pearl is a bad influence on her. Unlike other vampires, Pearl only feeds on abusive males, and she is hellbent on protecting Leah from anyone that will hurt her, including her own Nightwalker clan.

RLJE Films; NOT RATED; 95 mins; Amazon

Recently released to DVD & Blu-ray from RLJE Films is the thriller Terminal. Directed by Vaughn Stein, the film stars Margot Robbie (who is also a co-producer), Simon Pegg, Dexter Fletcher, Max Irons, and Mike Meyers. The film received a limited theatrical run in United States earlier this year.

In this bizarre film noir, Terminal tells two different tales  about two hired killers (played by Dexter Fletcher and Max Irons) on an assassin job and a dying teacher (played by Simon Pegg) who starts a strange and brief friendship with a strange so-called waitress (played by Margot Robbie). Both stories are cleverly intertwined together at the "Terminal," where everything is never what it seems to be.

It turns out that the "waitress" is an assassin as well, who has deadly plans for everyone at the "Terminal"

Special Features on the DVD include: The Cast of Terminal, Building The World of Terminal, and From Concept To Creation.

Mill Creek Ent., PG- 13; 117 minutes

Does anybody even remember the 2003 action flick S.W.A.T?

Honestly, I didn't even know the film even existed until Mill Creek Entertainment released the Blu-ray earlier this year. With the star-studded cast o Samuel L. Jackson, Colin Farrell, Jeremy Renner, Michelle Rodriguez, and LL Cool J, you would think that I would have remembered the movie being released back in 2003.

Based on short-lived 1975 television series, S.W.A.T. centers around a SWAT team of the Los Angeles Police Department. Well, more specifically, the film is more about Officer Jim Street (played by Colin Farrell), who has been in a rut ever since ex-partner and friend Brian Gamble (played by Jeremy Renner) disobeyed an order during a hostage situation, resulting in Street being demoted. Six months later, Street gets his chance at redemption when he's handpicked to join Sergeant Daniel "Hondo" Harrelson's (played by Samuel L. Jackson) new SWAT team, which also includes Michael Boxer (played by Brian Van Holt), TJ McCabe (played by Josh Charles), Deacon Kaye (played by LL Cool J) and Christina Sánchez (played by Michelle Rodriguez).

The team is put to the ultimate test when they are assigned to escort the French drug lord Alexander "Alex" Montel (played by Olivier Martinez) to the FBI, but things don't go as planned when Montel puts a bounty of $100 million to anyone who can help him escape.

Mill Creek Ent., PG; 89 mins; $14.98

Have you ever watched a movie that is so stupid, that it's actually likeable?

Well, that pretty much sums up my thoughts on the 1983 fantasy film Yor, the Hunter from the Future, which is ripoff of Quest of Fire and Star Wars. Upon it's original release, the film received negative reviews from critics and was given three Golden Raspberry Awards nominations.

Yor, the Hunter from the Future arrived on Blu-ray earlier this year from Mill Creek Entertainment; just in time to celebrate the film's 35th Anniversary. Bonus Features include a brand new audio commentary from actor Reb Brown and the original theatrical trailer.

Loosely based on the Argentinian comic book Yor, the film was directed by Antonio Margheriti and stars Reb Brown, Corinne Cléry, John Steiner, and Carole André.

The film centers around a barbarian named Yor (played by Reb Brown) who arrives just in the nick of time to save innocent villagers from a bloody thirsty dinosaur. Before he can rest from the battle, the village is attacked again, but this time they are attacked by a group of bluish skinned cavemen. Everyone is either murdered or kidnapped during the attack. Well, all except for Yor and Pag (played by Luciano Pigozzi), who quickly go on a rescue mission that turns into a disaster, as all the villagers end up being killed, except for a cavewoman named Kala (played by Corinne Cléry).

The trio explore the prehistoric land in search for Yor's origins, as he doesn't know where he comes from, except for the fact that he has wears a weird medallion around his neck. Now this is where the film gets a little strange, as it jumps from being a "barbarian movie" to being a science fiction flick that steals a few things from Star Wars.

Mill Creek Ent., 22 hrs 11 mins; $14.98

If you're wanting some scary movies to watch this summer, then look no further, as you can now own the DVD set Scared to Death: Horror Movie Collection from Mill Creek Entertainment, featuring a mix of slashers, monsters, and aliens on 4 discs.

Basically, it's a repackaging of three separate DVD releases (Queens of Scream, Possessed by Evil, and Monster Movie Mix), but with a new slipcover. Queens of Scream was released in 2016 and features the horror films "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Vacancy," "When A Stranger Calls," and "The Cave." Possessed by Evil was also released in 2016. It features five movies: "Devour," "The Plague," "Wind Chill," "Insanitarium," and "Vinyan."

Now I've already reviewed Queens of Screams and and Possessed by Evil back in 2016, so I'm not going to go into any further details about them. You can read my original reviews here: Queens of Scream * Possessed by Evil

I'm not for sure if Monster Movie Mix is a re-release or not, but it features a mixture of old movies and television shows.

The titles on the Monster Movie Mix are:

• The Corpse Vanishes - A 1942 film starring Bela Lugosi as a mad scientist. 
• Night Fright - A 1967 science fiction tale about a mutated alligator that turns into an ogre-like creature that terrorizes a small town.
• Killers From Space - A 1954 science fiction film starring Peter Graves as a nuclear scientist who gets tangled up with aliens.
• Destination Space - A 1959 made-for-television movie about the first rotating wheel space station.
• The Passage Beyond - A 1951 episode of the "Lights Out" anthology series. This episode focuses on the ghost of Lady Anne.
• Blunder - A 1951 episode of the "Tales of Tomorrow" anthology series. The episode centers on a scientist working on a nuclear reactor in the Arctic.
• Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - A 1955 episode of the "Climax!" anthology series. It's just another adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale.
• Tales of Frankenstein - An unsold 1958 television pilot co-produced by Hammer Film Productions and Columbia Pictures. The pilot centers on Baron Frankenstein (played by Anton Diffring) creating a new monster.
• Verdict From Space - A 1951 episode of the "Tales of Tomorrow" anthology series. The episode centers on an inventor named Gordon Kent, who is on trial for murdering a scientist.
• Flash Gordon: Return Of The Androids - A 1954 "Flash Gordon" episode, which centers on Flash Gordon trying to protect the secret location of the Androids.
• Captain Z-Ro: Meteor - A 1956 episode of the children's television series Captain Z-Ro, which centers on the Captain testing out a new spaceship.
• Johnny Jupiter - An "untitled episode" of the ABC's 1953-1954 series Johnny Jupiter, which centers on Duckweather, a young employee at a TV repair shop who gets advice from a magical TV set.

Mill Creek Ent., 95 minutes; $14.95

Here are two facts about me that you probably didn't already know:

1. I'm a big fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories.

2. I've always been fascinated with Jack the Ripper.

So, with that being said, I guess you can say I was looking forward to watching the underrated 1965 British thriller A Study in Terror, which was recently released on Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment.

Directed by James Hill, the film stars John Neville and Donald Houston as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, the famous England Detective Duo who find themselves on the hunt for a madman, a.k.a Jack the Ripper!

With Scotland Yard baffled by the horrifying murders of several prostitutes, Sherlock makes it his personal quest to unravel the mystery after a strange package arrives at his Baker Street home. While Dr. Watson would prefer not to get tangled up in Jack the Ripper's legacy, he tags along with Sherlock through the dark alleys of nineteenth century London, where they stumble upon a world of aristocracy, blackmail, and terror!

Lionsgate; Rated R; 90 minutes

Why is it I don't watch very many indie films? I don't exactly have an answer to very my own question, except for the little fact that many of the films just don't intrigue me. If a movie catches my attention, then I'll most likely watch it.

The comedy-drama "Flower" was released to DVD yesterday by Lionsgate, which happens to be a low-budget indie film. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2017 and received a theatrically release back in March. This type of movie would have easily went under my radar, if it wasn't for me receiving a press release about the DVD.

Co-written and directed by Max Winkler, Flower stars Zoey Deutch (Before I Fall, Why Him?), Kathryn Hahn (TV’s “Transparent,” Bad Moms, TV’s “Parks and Recreation”), Tim Heidecker (TV’s “Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories”), and Adam Scott (Step Brothers, TV’s “Big Little Lies” and “Parks and Recreation”).

The film centers on Erica Vandross, a complicated and bold teenage girl who spends her after-school hours prostituting herself to older men and then she blackmails them with a little help from her two friends, Kala and Claudine (played by Dylan Gelulaz and Maya Eshet). What is she doing with all the cash she's making? Well, she's saving money to help bail her estranged father out of jail.

Erica's life is forever changed when her mother's boyfriend's son, Luke (played by Joey Morgan), is released from rehab. Luke is a depressed teenager who finds solace in food. His father (played by Tim Heidecker) has tried to get him help, but nothing seems to change Luke's depression. Well, that is until Erica works her charm on him. It turns out that Luke was sexually abused by Will (played by Adam Scott), a junior high teacher. Though he did report the abuse to the police, there was not enough evidence to press charges against the teacher.

To help her possible future stepbrother, Erica comes up with an insane idea that will expose Will's dark secret. However, things don't go as planned.

MVD; 88 minutes; Amazon

Before Hollywood overloaded the theaters with countless big-budget superhero flicks, comic book films weren't very popular until 1989's Batman. Released just barely a month prior toe the caped crusader was The Return Of Swamp Thing, a sequel to the 1982 cult classic Swamp Thing, which was directed by the late Wes Craven. Jim Wynorski (Chopping Mall) directed the sequel and he took a slightly different approach by adding in a bit of slapstick humor.

Upon its original theatrical release, the sequel received mostly negative review from mainstream critics and bombed at the box office, but just like the first film, the movie has developed a cult following.

The Return of Swamp Thing arrived on Blu-ray + DVD last month courtesy of MVD Entertainment Group, who released the film under their MVD Rewind Collection. The Blu-ray features a brand-new 2K High-Definition transfer (1080p) of the film and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 and LPCM 2.0 mixes. The DVD disc features the film in Standard Definition (480p). As added bonus the release comes with a collectible mini-poster.

Special Features include:

• NEW Audio Commentary from Director Jim Wynorski, Composer Chuck Cirino and Editor Leslie Rosenthal
• Audio Commentary from Director Jim Wynorski (from 2003)
• NEW Interview with Director Jim Wynorski (HD)
• NEW Interview with Editor Leslie Rosenthal (HD)
• NEW Interview with Composer Chuck Cirino (HD)
• NEW Interview with Lightyear Entertainment Executive Arnie Holland (HD)
• Original Theatrical Trailer (NEW HD Transfer from original 35mm materials)
• 6 Promotional TV Clips (SD)
• 2 TV Spots (SD)
• 2 Greenpeace Public Service Announcements (SD)
• 1989 Promo Reel (SD)
• Photo Gallery (accompanied by Chuck Cirino's film's score)

Mill Creek Ent.; Not Rated/G; 5 hours

It's pretty much a none fact on this blog that I started watching horror flicks at a very young age. However, you probably don't know that I also grew up watching Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comedies, which were aired repeatedly on AMC (before the channel had commercials) during the early 1990s. The first solo Jerry Lewis film that I watched was Rock-A-Bye Baby. I thought I had seen all of his films, well, until Mill Creek Entertainment recently released a Comedy Triple Feature DVD featuring three Jerry Lewis films - "Don't Raise The Bridge, Lower The River," "Hook, L'ne & Sinker," and "3 on a Couch."

Directed by Jerry Paris, Don't Raise The Bridge, Lower The River (1967) has Jerry Lewis playing George Lester, an American who finds himself living in London after marrying a British woman, Pamela (played by Jacqueline Pearce). His profession is more of a con artist. Eventually, his get-rich-quick schemes forces Pamela to leave him after he turns her family's home into a casino. After she gives him a final ultimatum, George is determined to prove to her that he can act like adult by making enough cash to pay her back for the "redesigns" he made on her house. Actually, he's planning on one "get rich" last scheme to steal an electric oil drill blueprints and have his friend Willy (played by (Terry-Thomas) sell the plan in Lisbon.


Directed by George Marshall (his final film), Hook, L'ine & Sinker (1969) has Jerry Lewis playing Peter Ingersoll, a former insurance salesman who's about to undergo surgery in Chile. Before the surgery begins, he explains to the medical staff about how he got injured. His story begins when his best friend, Dr. Scott Carter (Peter Lawford), tells him that he only has a short time to live. After telling his wife (played by Anne Francis) the dreadful news, she convinces him to spend his final days on a fishing trip around the world and pay for it all by charging it to credit cards.

After racking up $10,000 dollars in bills, Peter learns that Dr. Carter made a mistake and he's in fact not dying! Together, they come up with a scheme to fake his death.


Produced and directed by Jerry Lewis, Three on a Couch (1966) has Lewis playing Christopher Pride, a businessman who's being sent to Paris for a year to work on a project. He want's his fiance Dr. Elizabeth Acord (played by Janet Leigh) to go with him to Paris, but she's dedicated to her psychiatric practice and doesn't want to leave three of her patients - Mary Lou (played by Leslie Parrish), Susan (played by Mary Ann Mobley), and Anna (played by Gila Golan). These women are all extremely hostile towards men.

After getting advice from his best friend, Dr. Benjamin Mizer (played by James Best), Christopher decides the best way to get Elizabeth to leave her patients, is for him to help cure them. To do so, he impersonates the ideal man for each woman and gets them to fall in love with him. Of course, things don't go as planned for Christopher!

Disney; TV-PG; 95 minutes; Walmart

Being released today to DVD from Disney Home Entertainment is the Disney Channel Original Movie ZOMBIES. The DVD comes with FREE Glow-In-The-Dark Tattoos.

Directed & produced by Paul Hoen (Camp Rock 2), the film stars Milo Manheim, Meg Donnelly (ABC's American Housewife), Trevor Tordjman, Kylee Russell, Carla Jeffery, Kingston Foster, and James Godfrey.

ZOMBIES is set in the small community of Seabrook, where fifty years ago a lime soda plant explosion turned half of the population into zombies. Those who weren't infected built a wall to keep the zombies out and forcing them to live in their own community called Zombietown. Fast forward to the present, the government requires all zombies to wear "Z-Band" bracelets that sends  electromagnetic pulses to keep zombies from craving brains.

The film centers on Addison, a teenager who's excited to be starting a brand new year of school, as she's going to be trying out for the Seabrook High cheerleader team, which is lead by her cousin Bucky. Addison isn't exactly normal, as she actually has white hair, which was probably passed down to her from her grandfather who was bitten by a zombie, but her parents make her wear a blonde wig.

The first day of school also marks the very first time the high school will be allowing zombie teenagers to attend classes. Zed, Eliza, and Bonzo, along with a handful of other zombie teenagers, were excited about starting school at Seabrook High; well, that is until they actually arrived there. Ordered by the principal, all of the zombie students must attend classes in the basement. Also, zombies aren't allowed to join school activities, including sports. Now, this is a major disappointment for Zed because he was wanting to tryout for the Mighty Shrimp football team.

After the "zombie alarm" is accidentally set off, Addison bumps into Zed inside a "zombie bunker," and the two quickly begin a friendship. Later, Zed convinces the principal and the football coach into letting him join the team. Thanks to Eliza's help by hacking his "Z-Band" to make him more aggressive, Zed leads the team to several victories.

Despite becoming the school's football star, Bucky and a few other cheerleaders are determined to get  Zed and the rest of the zombie students kicked out of school.

Bonus Features include:

• Bloopers - Laugh out loud at the Cast of ZOMBIES in this compilation of the funniest bloopers and outtakes from the making of the film.

• Deleted Scenes
• It’s a Cheer-tastrope 
• New Jacket, New Name

• Audition Footage 
• Milo Manheim Audition
• Meg Donnelly Audition

• Zombies Survival Guide To High School - This piece uses a visual motif of a Zombie Survival Guide, with styled infographics and hosted by the talent.  We go down the list of some of the most important survival tips for Zombies and humans on how to get along and make the best of high school. 

• Dance Tutorial - Join Meg Donnelly (Addison), Kylee Russell (Eliza) and ZOMBIES Choreographer, Christopher Scott, as they show you how to dance along to the ‘BAMM” Music Video.

• Music Videos 
• Music Video - "BAMM"
• Lyric Video - "BAMM"
  

• Trailers

Lionsgate; Rated R; 94 minutes; Amazon

Now available to own on Blu-ray & Digital from Lionsgate Home Entertainment is the action-thriller Braven. Directed by Lin Oeding, the film the stars Jason Moma (Justice League; Stargate Atlantis), Garret Dillahunt (Fear the Walking Dead), Jill Wagner (Stargate Atlantis), and Stephan Lang (Avatar). The only Special Feature on the Blu-ray is "The Braven's View."

The film centers on Joe Braven (played by Jason Momoa), a logging company owner. He travels to his family's remote hunting cabin with his father (played by Stephen Lang), who suffers from dementia. After his father had caused a fight at a bar, Joe and his wife, Stephanie (played by Jill Wagner), decides that the best step would be to place him in a nursing home. Joe had planned on telling him during their trip, but his plans changes when they discover a duffel bag full of cocaine.

With no way to report the drugs due to no cellular signals in the area, Joe and his father planned on leaving as soon as possible before the drug trafficker returns, but things don't unfold out they way they had hoped. The drug lord Kassen (played by Garret Dillahunt) and his mercenaries surround the cabin. To make matters worse, Joe's young daughter, Charlotte, had hid herself in the family car. So, now, Joe must hide the cocaine and barricade his family inside the cabin; all while, he becomes a one-man army against Kassen and the mercenaries.

Not Rated; 164 minutes; $14.98; Buy Link

I believe I have stated a few times on this blog about my love for the classic Hammer Film Production horror flicks from the 1950s to the 1970s. I have fond memories of watching these films during horror movie marathons on AMC (before they had commercials) when I was a teenager during the late 1990s. Old horror films don't get much air time on television any more, so I'm thankful that many of them have found their way onto DVD and Blu-ray.

Yesterday, Mill Creek Entertainment released a new Hammer Films Double Feature Blu-ray, which features the British films "Scream of Fear!" and "Never Take Candy from a Stranger." There are no special features or extras on the single-disc.

Directed by Cyril Frankel, the 1960 thriller Never Take Candy from a Stranger (also known as Never Take Sweets from a Stranger) centers on a school principal Peter Carter and his wife Sally (played by Patrick Allen and Gwen Watford) who are determined to protect their young daughter Jean (played by Janina Faye) from a child molester, Clarence Olderberry Sr.. The old man had lured Jean and her best friend Lucille (played by Frances Green) into his home and gave them candy in exchange for seeing the girls dance naked.

The Olderberry family owns most of the town and are respected by everyone. Even though Peter and Sally pressed charges against Clarence, there's no real proof that he actually harmed the girls; resulting in the court finding him not guilty. However, Clarence is guilty of the crime and he hunts down Jean and Lucille, who must fight for their lives to survive his clutches.

Due to the taboo themes of sexual abuse of children and paedophilia, the film was a critical and commercial failure. However, over the years the film has received positive reviews from modern day critics. The late Hammer horror-icon Christopher Lee stated, ""Never Take Sweets from a Stranger, an excellent film, was decades ahead of its time."


Directed by Seth Holt, the 1961 psychological thriller Scream of Fear! (also known as Taste of Fear), centers on Penny Appleby (played by Susan Strasberg), a wheelchair-bound woman who returns to her father's estate after being estranged for nearly 10 years. Upon arriving Penny meets her stepmother Jane (played by Ann Todd) for the very first time, as well as two guests, Bob (played by Ronald Lewis) and Doctor Gerrard (played by Christopher Lee). She's disappointed to learn that her father is away on a business trip. Her mother had died recently and she's wanting to get reacquainted with her father.

What was planned as a simple visit home quickly turns in a nightmare for Penny. She keeps seeing her father's dead body in various places, but the body always disappears before she cancall for help. Is she going mad?

While the film didn't do very well in the UK and United States upon it's release, it did do well in Europe. The late great Christopher Lee has been quoted, "Taste of Fear was the best film that I was in that Hammer ever made. It had the best director, the best cast and the best story."