When it comes to the history of the television show “SCTV,” a documentarian is going to need a lot more than 90 minutes to take it all in. Director Jason Hehir (“Andre the Giant”) doesn’t do himself any favors by making such a short movie, trying to pack in basically nine years of life into a single flow of information and interviews. “SCTV: The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of” is a decent reminder of the sly comedic splendor the original series produced during its years of production, hitting viewers with intelligent writing and full commitment from the brilliant cast. Many of these actors reunite for parts of the feature, offering recollections and analysis of the program and its delightfully strange ways. Hehir catches the spirit here and there with “The Greatest Show You’ve Never Heard Of,” but the endeavor is not made for die-hard fans of “SCTV,” with lots of information missing or untouched, but there’s joy to be found when the documentary highlights incredible talent finding their way through a very special show. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Martin McDonagh doesn’t make films very often, but he’s been on a roll over the last decade, with 2022’s “The Banshees of Inisherin” following up his award-winning work on “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.” With “Wild Horse Nine,” the writer/director remains committed to creating particularly itchy characters going through major life changes in a mostly private manner, this time inspecting a partnership between two CIA officers that’s challenged by professional demands and the loss of mental faculties. It’s a character study that occasionally heads into greater confrontations and suspicions, but McDonagh is primarily invested in the twisty ways of temperament and memory, and he has a heck of a setting in Easter Island, giving the feature a rich visual presence. “Wild Horse Nine” goes deliberately with its storytelling, putting the helmer in control of an unfolding drama that surprises and periodically intimidates, carried along by excellent performances and, at times, genuine mystery. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

At this point in his career, Liam Neeson isn’t turning anything down. There has been a lot of B-movies starring the actor, and “The Mongoose” is another one for the pile, putting Neeson behind the wheel of a fast car as his character spends 90 minutes trying to evade law enforcement for a crime, of course, his character didn’t commit. Director Mark Vanselow is making his helming debut with the picture, and he knows Neeson well, working as his stunt double, dating back to 2008’s “Taken.” Vanselow is attempting to generate lively entertainment, overseeing a film filled with speeding vehicles, swooping helicopters, and physical entanglements. “The Mongoose” has spirit when it comes to screen activity, but it’s also an incredibly dopey offering of action cinema, with screenwriter Thompson Evans painting conflict with primary colors as the whole endeavor attempts to become a new “Smokey and the Bandit” for older audiences. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Ali G was Sacha Baron Cohen’s first breakout character, introduced in the late 1990s as a goofy take on British “chav” culture, taking youthful idiocy and unearned confidence to the extreme. The bit had its moment, generating a path to fame for Cohen, who co-created “Da Ali G Show,” which placed the character in the role of moronic interviewer, working to infuriate guests and expose absurdities. There was even a film in 2002’s “Ali G Indahouse,” which dropped the mockumentary angle to deliver scripted entertainment starring a determined boob. Cohen returns to the character 24 years later, hoping to use “Ali G: Who Iz I?” to reconnect with his old brand of mischief, but it’s hard to deny that the time for such shenanigans has passed. The feature feels tired and out of date, with “Ali G: Who Iz I?” out to make fun of political correctness through pranks and satire that doesn’t exactly play in today’s angrier, divided world. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The screenplay for “Christmas at the Kringles” is credited to Zack Imbrogno, but it’s difficult to understand what exactly he’s written. Perhaps he doesn’t even know. There’s the vague outline of a plot concerning a father and husband trying to make sense of his holiday-obsessed neighbors, watching as his wife and child submit to their jolly ways, forced to deal with the situation when everything escalates to a new level of threat. Director Kevin Lewis (“Willy’s Wonderland,” “Misdirection”) doesn’t really care about storytelling in the endeavor, putting most of his faith in the cast and their ways with improvisation to find the humor and horror of the tale. The actors certainly work up a sweat to remain alert in the picture, but “Christmas at the Kringles” doesn’t score laughs, and its weirdness is just as strained, emerging as a bland, tedious take on holiday hellraising in dire need of actual scripted lines for its characters. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2004, co-writer/director Peter Berg set out to understand the power of community and competition with “Friday Night Lights,” looking to move beyond the world of high school football to capture the energy of small town America. It was an adaptation of a book by journalist H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger, and now Berg tries to find his way around “The Mosquito Bowl.” It’s another Bissinger endeavor (published in 2022), also about the strange influence of football over the lives of young men in conflict. This time the battleground is World War II, putting Berg (and co-writer Mark L. Smith, “The Dog Stars”) to work generating emotional and physical intensity as a global conflict comes for individual lives just beginning to form. “The Mosquito Bowl” attempts to overwhelm with violence, but Berg doesn’t trust his audience, repeatedly taking the whole film into overkill when he isn’t drowning the movie in speeches and irksome cinematography. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In his last picture, 2024’s “The Room Next Door,” writer/director Pedro Almodovar ventured out of his comfort zone just a little bit, working with English-language actors (including Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton) to give the feature a higher profile and different vibe than his usual Spanish offerings. The stretch was interesting but not overpowering, returning the helmer to his home country for “Bitter Christmas.” It’s the latest melodrama from Almodovar, with the screenplay following his interests in troubled relationships, adding an overall examination of creativity and manipulation in the process. “Bitter Christmas” retains the vibrant filmmaking Almodovar is known for, with impeccable technical credits, but it’s not entirely gripping work, playing with timelines and realities without much of a dramatic hold, though the endeavor periodically scores with moments of passion and distress that help to snap the feature to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

To celebrate the release of 1976’s “Rocky,” producers have elected to skip on the creation of a new sequel or spin-off continuation, electing to dramatize the formation of the original picture instead. Screenwriter Peter Gamble is out to make an underdog movie about an underdog movie in “I Play Rocky,” which tracks the hardships and great successes for Sylvester Stallone as he tried to make his acting dream happen on his own terms. The rough edges of reality are completely sanded down by Gamble, and director Peter Farrelly is no stranger to soft cheese filmmaking, previously scoring a major success in 2018’s “Green Book.” “I Play Rocky” is meant to be a crowd-pleaser, not a documentary, and it’s mildly successful in primary color mode, with Gamble attempting to land easy emotion with Stallone’s battle for respectability and his rise to tremendous success when the whole world seemed to be against him. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dot-Marie Jones is a veteran actress who’s made her way through many film and television roles. She has a defined physical presence, often hired to play tough or imposing characters, and that’s exactly the energy writer/director Alex Goyette needs for “Breeder,” which follows a young man getting into deep trouble with a poodle breeder who’s up to no good on her remote ranch. The picture isn’t a fierce genre offering, but a slow-burn study of psychology, sticking with the characters as they dole out and endure punishment for lengthy periods of time, playing a long game of intimidation. Goyette doesn’t summon much creepiness with “Breeder,” but he has Jones, who’s commanding in the villain role, adding enough unsettling behavior to keep the overlong movie alive, delivering the pressure the helmer is hoping to provide. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2019, co-writer/director Taika Waititi pulled off a bit of a magic trick with “Jojo Rabbit.” He managed to marry the extremes of the material, handling silliness and absolute severity during the World War II tale, emerging with a unique viewing experience when all initial signs pointed to a cinematic disaster. Waititi is back to try again with “Klara and the Sun,” endeavoring to adapt a 2021 book by Kazuo Ishiguro, which follows the experiences of an android sent to live with a sick girl, exposed to a whole new world while managing family life. Once again, Waititi is faced with a delicate tone to balance, but the new film is no “Jojo Rabbit,” often struggling to make sense of itself as whimsy and gloominess compete for screen time. “Klara and the Sun” is clearly out to be charming and heartbreaking, but the helmer visibly wrestles with the assignment, ending up with a frustratingly flat picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Clayface” is the latest offering from the DC Extended Universe, with producers looking to test the fanbase with a live-action depiction of a character previously realized in comic books, video games, and animation. It’s quite a challenge for director James Watkins (“Eden Lake,” “Speak No Evil”), who’s handed a limited budget and a cult character, tasked with bringing something menacing and messy with what’s ultimately a body horror crime picture. Screenwriters Mike Flanagan and Hossein Amini come up with a decent story to support a bizarre evolution, landing close-ish to a remake of 1990’s “Darkman” with a tale of a sensitive soul who has access to many faces, out to seek revenge on those who destroyed his. “Clayface” has a few creative limitations, but it’s an enjoyably gruesome ride and sturdy origin story. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2022, actor Noah Segan made his feature-length directorial debut with “Blood Relatives.” It followed a vampire coming to terms with his new role as a father to a teenager, allowing Segan to play with elements of horror and drama as he constructed a flawed but engaging picture. He’s back with “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York,” and Segan shows improvement with this endeavor, getting leaner with a study of a small-time criminal who’s made a mess of his life suddenly confronted by big trouble he doesn’t fully understand. “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” is invitingly direct in its storytelling and superbly cast for the most part, with star John Turturro delivering layered, internalized work in a part that does something with his unusual screen presence. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Maria Bamford is a comedian loved by other comedians. She’s been on the precipice of major fame for quite some time, but never reached media omnipresence, and there’s a good reason why. “Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story” puts directors Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley to work investigating the subject, getting to understand her particular ways on-stage and off, also examining her lifelong struggle with various mental disorders she’s battled with and turned into material for her act. There’s nobody quite like Maria Bamford, and the helmers know it, presenting a raw but hilarious portrait of a woman who’s navigated so much in her life, yet remains committed to being a performer. She’s also incredibly open with Apatow and Berkeley, willing to inspect the darkness she’s been trying to make sense of since she was a child, adding to a sensational documentary about a gifted performer. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Laika, the stop-motion animation studio, has maintained a reputation for elegant visuals and challenging storytelling, trying to give viewers of all ages a bit more to process than the competition provides. Their last endeavor, 2019’s “Missing Link,” took a tumble at the box office, but the company isn’t retreating with their new picture. Instead, they’re going deeper into fantasy and mature tastes with “Wildwood,” which is an adaptation of a 2011 novel by author Colin Meloy. Laika goes PG-13 with the offering, delivering a darker, more violent adventure into magical lands, and director Travis Knight (who recently helmed “Masters of the Universe”) isn’t compromising the tone of the material, which deals with death and madness, also providing harder hits of adventure as the characters face challenges that could take their lives. “Wildwood” retains gorgeous animation, maintaining a feast for the eyes as screenwriter Chris Butler (“ParaNorman,” “Kubo and the Two Strings”) tries to manage many elements of survival and power, out to generate Laika’s biggest movie yet. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Wicker” is an adaptation of a short story written by Ursula Wills-Jones in 2008, with emphasis on the word “short.” The writer only claimed 14 pages to explore her story, leaving writer/directors Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson (“Save Yourselves!”) with a substantial creative challenge as they attempt to fill over 100 minutes of movie. Stretchmarks are visible on the screenwriting, which endeavors to do some world-building while adding a number of supporting characters to help extend the effort. Additions are noticeable, but the central premise of “Wicker” is quite interesting, putting Fischer and Wilson to work examining the loneliness and shamed existence of a woman who turns to magic to create her ideal husband, and he just so happens to be made out of wicker. There’s a touch of humor involved in the picture, but the material tends to feel most balanced when investigating jealousies and insecurities that arise when a fantasy man comes to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Jordan Downey was previously involved in the B-movie business. He helmed pictures such as “ThanksKilling” and “ThanksKilling 3,” and added a bit of ghoulishness to “V/H/S/Beyond.” Downey aims to get somewhat restrained and atmospheric with “The Cycle,” which follows a forensic anthropologist as she’s called in to investigate a horrible crime, getting in touch with her past in the process. There’s more to the tale, a lot more, but Downey (who co-scripts with Kevin Stewart) goes slow-burn with the offering, creating a first half that’s primarily about character histories and procedural events, eventually reaching increasingly intense matters that change the tone of the movie. “The Cycle” isn’t the most tightly edited endeavor, but it does maintain an involving case to follow, and Downey scores some surges of horror during the investigation, nailing intensity when the effort gets around to physical events. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com