It’s interesting to note that writer/director James Gunn has made seven movies over the last 20 years, and six of them have been based on or influenced by comic books. The man loves superhero cinema, and the success of his “Guardians of the Galaxy” series has turned him into an industry authority, even placed into a leadership role for DC Studios, tasked with launching a fresh round of world-building for the comic book company. “Superman” is meant to pour the foundation for this new direction, giving Gunn control of arguably the most famous superhero of all time, and one who’s been brought to the big screen on many occasions. The new “Superman” is striving to be massive and loaded with comic book references, but there’s a limit to how much the screenplay can take before it starts to ignore its primary appeal, and Gunn’s feature gets close to collapsing on multiple occasions. It’s loaded with characters and story, though it’s really at its best when dealing with Superman, giving star David Corenswet an opportunity to shine as he carries a wobbly, overwritten franchise-starter across the finish line. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Sovereign” is based on a true story, using the details of the 2010 West Memphis police shootings to inspire a study of American insanity as it spreads throughout the land and across generations. Writer/director Christian Swegal makes his feature-length helming debut with the endeavor, and he dips into a particularly dark tale of influence, examining the experience of a teenage boy who’s completely guided by his father’s radicalization, eventually challenged to understand his parent’s poisonous way of thinking as he begins to mature into an adult. “Sovereign” is a riveting picture that aims to identify the frustration of those lost to indoctrination, also providing a parallel perspective with law enforcement to balance out the viewing experience. Swegal is careful and observant with the film, which reaches many chilling moments and painful reminders of U.S. extremism, and it’s held together by star Nick Offerman, who provides a searing performance in one of the best roles of his career. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2018, residents of the Hawaiian Islands experienced quite a jolt during an average January morning. Instead of enjoying some sleep or the start of daily routines, the area was presented with an Emergency Alert System communication warning that a ballistic missile was headed for the area, urging people to immediately seek shelter. Citizens were left in a state of panic for 38 minutes, believing the end of the world had finally arrived, only to be told the whole incident was a horrible mistake. Writer/director Deena Kashper appears to be using the nightmare situation to inspire “Nuked,” which examines tensions inside a rural California home as a birthday party is interrupted by news of a missile launch, leaving partygoers to deal with a lot on their minds as death and destruction looms. Kashper hopes to turn such despair into a comedy, but she’s not entirely committed to funny business, taking “Nuked” into a few intimate directions as it explores a tense situation of terror. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

With “Push,” co-writers/directors David Charbonier and Justin Douglas Powell look to make something small-scale and frightening. It’s their third chiller in a row, and another picture that makes use of a single location, with previous endeavors “The Boy Behind the Door” and “The Djinn” also striving to create nail-biting tension around limited real estate. The team has their cinematic fixations, and they receive a healthy workout in their latest effort, which pits a pregnant real estate agent against the mentally unstable ways of a home invader during a particularly vicious night. “Push” doesn’t win with story, emerging as an exercise in suspense and shock, putting the helmers to work as they strive to squeeze as much tension as possible out of the premise. It’s debatable of there’s enough here to support a feature, but Charbonier and Powell show enthusiasm in their attempt, generating a steady pulse of unease in the offering, and a few explosive moments of conflict. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The summer moviegoing season means a return to shark attack cinema. Last month saw the release of “Dangerous Animals,” which attempted to subvert the norm in the subgenre, playing around with human predators instead of strictly oceanic ones. And now Japan tries their luck with horrors from the deep in “Hotspring Sharkattack,” which is about an unserious as a film can get. We’ve done the “Sharknado” thing too many times, but writer/director Morihito Inoue delivers a different kind of wackiness with his presentation of death and destruction. He goes camp, but creatively so in the picture, which examines chaos caused by deadly ancient sharks awakened from the deep due to commercial development, seeking revenge on all for such an offense. “Hotspring Sharkattack” is low-budget and loving it, and while there’s definitely a limit on such exaggeration, Inoue has some imagination for his lunacy, mounting a bizarre and amusing riff on sharksploitation bedlam. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Vampire stories are plentiful, but author Joe Hill has something a little different in mind with “Abraham’s Boys.” The material is an adaptation of a short story, and writer/director Natasha Kermani is challenged to figure out how to work with Hill’s central concept of post-Dracula life for Mina Harker and Abraham Van Helsing, picking up with the characters as they experience the trouble of maintaining sanity after they’ve survived maddening events. It’s a neat idea, and Kermani is hunting for patience from her audience, going the slow-burn route with the endeavor, searching for a sense of creepiness to command the viewing experience. “Abraham’s Boys” has mood, and the tale eventually gets around to escalation, helping to improve a somewhat sluggish effort that battles with the limitations of the material that inspired it. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

23 years ago, a director billed as “Kaos” helped to bring “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever” to the big screen, looking to establish himself as a major player in the world of action cinema. The plan didn’t come together as intended, as the film died a quick death at the box office while collecting a large assortment of negative reviews. The helmer has worked to keep his career going, delivering many B-movies over the years, and he continues his fixation on cheapy thrillers with “Bang,” a bluntly titled revenge offering from screenwriters Ken Solarz and Peter M. Lenkov (two television veterans), who try to subvert a few expectations with their slightly unusual take on one-man-army storytelling. Kaos has become Wych Kaosayananda, but his instincts for bruiser entertainment haven’t changed much since “Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever,” finding “Bang” a real bore when it highlights shootouts and assorted physical challenges, which should be the main draw for this endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Loneliness and grief are common experiences that inspire a lot of cinematic offerings. The rough emotional ride of such events easily gives birth to stories investigating the confusion of personal loss, and the difficulty of processing such an experience. “Daniela Forever” is the latest from writer/director Nacho Vigalondo (“Colossal,” “Timecrimes,” “Open Windows”), who takes the basic concept of despair and tries to transform it into a fantasy take on denial and acceptance. The helmer means to get weird and somewhat poetic with the work, examining the state of mind of a man using dreams to reacquire the life he’s lost, only to learn more about it during his manufactured visits. It’s a timely tale of technology and human connection, and while Vigalondo doesn’t pursue pacing in the feature, he has a few sharp ideas on the future of coping, especially as our A.I.-infested world keeps expanding. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Before "South Park" dominated pop culture, before "Team America" could save the world, and before "Orgasmo" could…gasmo, there was 1993's "Cannibal! The Musical." Initially conceived by writer/director Trey Parker as a student project for the University of Colorado Boulder film program, the effort was soon stretched to a feature-length undertaking, exploring the days of convicted cannibal Alferd Packer with help from a little song and dance. The picture is really the first shot fired in Parker's movie musical career (developed throughout "South Park" before graduating to Broadway with "The Book of Mormon"), and while "Cannibal! The Musical" is rough around the edges and could use a great deal of editorial tightening, it remains a striking achievement in low-budget cinema. Filled with humor, creativity, and an accomplished soundtrack of memorable tunes, the offering is something of a triumph for Parker and his team, who manage to show real talent in their debut, and these gifts would go on to be developed with help from Hollywood money. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Screenwriters Tesh Guttikonda and Kurtis Harder (who also directs) wade into the murky waters of social media domination in "Influencer." They're not making a horror movie with the subculture's frightening ways, but a slow-burn thriller, clearly influenced by author Patricia Highsmith and her novel, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," looking to replicate some of the same character tensions. The story follows the dangerous days of a young woman who's tired of culture invaders, looking to mess up many lives as she executes a special plan of torment for her victims and their narcissistic ways. "Influencer" captures a unique intensity and level of psychological corruption in its first half, only to lessen suspense as the tale becomes something of a detective story as it nears its conclusion. It's not consistent, but it mostly works, giving viewers a decent ride of eeriness and mental illness on both sides of the criminal situation. The writing also pokes at the business of social media, challenging a few points of power as it gradually shapes an examination of doom. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Gregg Araki. He's a filmmaker specializing in provocative features that largely explore the ways of sex and violence. He emerged in the 1990s, riding an indie film wave with his hostile endeavors, charming art house audiences with his aggressive viewpoint and creative freedom, amassing cult fandom with releases such as "The Doom Generation," "Nowhere," and "Totally F***ed Up." In 2004's "Mysterious Skin," Araki dared to go a little deeper, exploring the abyssal pain of abuse and neglect, shedding most of his artistic hostility to be sincere for a change. Perhaps such a deep dive into the horrors of life was too much for the helmer, who tries to shed his funk in 2007's "Smiley Face," which is as polar opposite a production as possible. Instead of inspecting depression and personal ruin, Araki turns to a streak of silliness for a stoner comedy, out to capture the comedic experience of a young woman battling her impossible high, pulling herself beyond the confines of her apartment to deal with the challenges of society and responsibility. It's pure stupidity from Araki, who's not known for his light sense of humor, and this lack of practice is quite evident in "Smiley Face." It has Anna Faris in full goofball mode, which is a treat, but she's the only element in the effort that's worth following, as the rest of the offering can't rise above dismal ideas for comedy. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Bart La Rue was a working actor during the 1960s and '70s, trying to land choice parts like so many of his peers. He had the benefit of a defined speaking voice, but not much luck when it came to professional success, handling small parts on television shows such as "The Brady Bunch," "Star Trek," "Bonanza," and "Mission: Impossible." La Rue also tried his luck in filmmaking, launching directorial ambitions with 1975's "The Ark of Noah," playing into the decade's interest in documentaries about strange phenomena and legends. His helming career promptly died with 1979's "Satan War," and perhaps for good reason. La Rue attempts to follow the Satanic Panic trends of the decade during this take on a haunted house tale, observing a married couple and their minimal efforts to do something about an evil presence that won't exit their newly purchased home. "Satan War" is a no- budget offering from La Rue, who doesn't have a story to share with the endeavor, just ideas for haunted moments. It's a long journey with the characters and their inability to accept obvious doom, and La Rue is in no rush to get anywhere in the picture, making for a painfully dull sit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Ilya Naishuller made his directorial debut with 2015’s “Hardcore Henry,” presenting himself as a new action specialist on the scene, focusing on chaotic screen encounters. He moved into more mainstream work in 2021’s “Nobody,” finding himself with a pandemic hit. Naishuller goes deeper into Hollywood with his latest, “Heads of State,” which pairs the helmer’s love of mayhem with star power and a sizable budget. The result is a loud, mostly unfunny endeavor that gradually becomes a cartoon, as Naishuller works in excess to help cover for production limitations and the lack of a clever script. “Heads of State” has its moments of distraction, but these are select sequences in a picture that’s overlong and underwritten, losing its initial momentum as the whole thing grows bloated and, unfortunately, quite stupid. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the great challenges of watching “The Old Guard 2” is trying to remember what exactly happened in “The Old Guard.” The 2020 release was a riff on “Highlander,” presenting a graphic novel-inspired team of immortals out to take down threats and deal with their longevity. The picture was a pandemic hit, racking up streaming views with a captive audience, making the arrival of a sequel all but assured. Five years later, a continuation has finally emerged, though one with a rocky production history (it was shot three years ago), appearing with hope to turn a random hit movie into an ongoing series. “The Old Guard 2” probably isn’t going to expand the fan base, as director Victoria Mahoney (a television veteran) is in way over her head with the project, struggling to manage subplots, characters, and action in a film that’s surprisingly lifeless, unable to match the semi-fun factor of the original feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The making of 1975’s “Jaws” is not a secret. The picture’s troubled production experience has become the stuff of Hollywood legend, and tales of professional struggle and personal camaraderie have been explored in all kinds of media, most notably in a lengthy making-of documentary created for the feature’s laserdisc release (directed by Laurent Bouzereau), and there was 2007’s “The Shark is Still Working,” a marvelous fan-driven overview of the picture that strived to be a bit more comprehensive when handling the many details of the movie and its fans. Now there’s an anniversary to celebrate as Steven Spielberg’s massive summer blockbuster turns 50, inspiring Bouzereau to return to this world for “Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,” which isn’t exactly complete, but it does the trick, especially for lovers of the suspense classic. Bouzereau treats the assignment as a victory lap, gathering interviewees and footage to celebrate five decades of cinema excellence and influence, covering the basics in moviemaking and personality while adding an oceanic angle to the story, reinforcing the power and majesty of the shark, working to erase the villainous label applied to the creature after “Jaws” was initially released. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the nice surprises of the 2019 film year was the release of “Dora and the Lost City of Gold.” It seemed an impossible task to make a live-action “Dora the Explorer” picture, and one aimed at a teen demographic, but director James Bobin managed to make an entertaining, creative celebration of the animated world, giving it unusual life. Six years later, Dora is back, only now she’s played by a different actress and the production is working with a little less budgetary might to supply a screen adventure. “Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado” doesn’t share the same bigness as the previous endeavor, but director Alberto Belli and screenwriter JT Billings recapture most of its spirit in a pleasant sequel that’s greatly enhanced by its actors, with Samantha Lorraine (taking over for Isabela Merced) doing an exceptional job making the main role her own. She’s warm and excitable, helping to enliven “Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado” when it occasionally gets stuck in storytelling inertia. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The video store. It was once a place that launched cinematic journeys and shaped social connections. Now, most of the business is dead, long killed off by Hollywood’s need to chase profit by destroying profit, and video stores have become the focus for many documentaries, especially independent ones scraping together an appreciation of days gone by. Director Alex Ross Perry has a lot of indie cred, previously helming “Her Smell,” “Queen of Earth,” and the recent rock doc “Pavements,” and he goes where many moviemakers have gone before in “Videoheaven,” striving to assemble an understanding of the VHS generation and the business of the rental days. Perry looks to avoid glops of nostalgia, transforming the feature into a lengthy (nearly three hours long) academic examination of the business and its many influences, using inspiration from Daniel Herbert’s 2014 book, “Videoland: Video Culture at the American Video Store.” Perry doesn’t bring the joy for “Videoheaven,” but he comes prepared with hundreds of clips to back up his ideas, creating a visual trek across the once mighty omnipresence of the industry, identifying its cultural power. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Actor Jack Donnelly heads to “Fatal Attraction” territory in “Pretty Thing,” making his feature-length screenwriting debut with the endeavor. It’s a study of lust gone wrong, this time involving a sexually adventurous woman and the younger lover she dares to momentarily possess, out to experience the thrill of the hunt. What she actually receives in return is a more complicated relationship that Donnelly takes his time examining, going slow-burn with the picture as it gradually visits other perspectives and tones. Director Justin Kelly (“JT LeRoy,” “King Cobra”) does a fine job sustaining the mysterious ways of “Pretty Thing,” generating a sense of steaminess as the offering delivers early eroticism. He also stays with the turns of the material, capably selling the rising distress felt by both characters as they confront the reality of their pairing. Donnelly generates uneasiness, and Kelly manages to sustain it all the way to the final minutes of the film. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

When it comes to a depiction of the end of the world, there’s a lot of competition for attention these days. Television is especially fond of doomsday experiences, using episodic storytelling to explore the pains of society as it deals with all sorts of survival challenges. “40 Acres” often feels like a series compacted into a feature film, as co-writer/director R.T. Thorne attempts to investigate the lives of his characters from different sides, chasing a few subplots and flashbacks. Thorne wants to create something a bit more meaningful with the movie, mostly saving beats of horror and action until the final act. It’s a laudable attempt to go a little deeper into characterization and mood, but “40 Acres” has plenty of pacing issues, as the helmer often mistakes stillness for suspense. What’s here is human and sensitive, but not always gripping, which is a strange feeling when the material focuses on the dismantling of world order. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Of course, the title "Child's Play" conjures images of a horror franchise that's arguably carried on for far too long. However, before such genre entertainment arrived in 1988, there was a Broadway play by Robert Marasco, which explored the growing unrest inside a Catholic boarding school as two teachers deal with their differences and the kids have gone a little crazy as the academic year carries on. Screenwriter Leon Prochnik and director Sidney Lumet take on the responsibility of a screen adaptation, and 1972's "Child's Play" is mostly content to resemble the stage production, putting focus on the actors as the story surveys darkness creeping into a holy place. It's an unusual tale of paranoia and torment, sold particularly well by the cast, who truly dig into the disease of the plot and maintain a few of its mysteries. Overall, the endeavor isn't terribly gripping, but it retains moments of fiery confrontation and ambiguity to keep viewers invested in a central crisis of concern. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com