Tapping in the social issue zeitgeist, “Working Woman” takes a very potent look at the state of sexual harassment in the workplace. It’s an Israeli production from co-writer/director Michal Aviad, who uses brief moments of personal invasion to create an overall view of horror, approaching the subject from an achingly human point of view. “Working Woman” isn’t a message movie or a melodrama, but an unsettlingly realistic assessment of shame and confusion, examining how a spirit is diminished, and nearly destroyed, by unprofessional and criminal actions. While small in scale and deeply internalized, the feature is tremendously powerful and frightening, skipping hysterics to cut to the core of the hot button issue. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It was difficult enough to bring “The Lord of the Rings” saga to the screen, and now movie producers seek out the source of all the fantasy magic with “Tolkien,” which serves as a bio-pic of the famed Middle-Earth creator, J.R.R. Tolkien. Instead of returning to the depth of fantasy that turned the Englishman into a household name, “Tolkien” tries to remain an emotional event, studying how small ideas from a brilliant mind develop into iconic pages filled with creatures, quests, and harrowing acts of survival. The production can’t fit in everything and it shows, but the feature remains powerful in parts, with actor Nicholas Hoult doing a superb job pulling out the inner life of the author, giving much more than a simple understanding of creative influences. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For those who complain about the death of originality in filmmaking these days, here’s “The Professor and the Madman,” which explores the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary. Now there’s a tale that’s rarely explored, with the production taking inspiration from a Simon Winchester book to bring such specificity in invention to the screen. It’s a strange subject matter, but one worth investigating, bringing in actors Mel Gibson and Sean Penn to dramatize an unlikely partnership forged by a mutual love of words and obsession. “The Professor and the Madman” has screenplay issues, messing around with tonality one too many times, but there’s something interesting in the central crisis of language, with the production capturing the fever of research and breakthroughs. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There are not a lot of sellable elements for “Tater Tot & Patton.” It’s a low-budget movie set in South Dakota, missing any sort of traditional cinematic polish. One of the picture’s main stars in Jessica Rothe, who recently watched her star rise after participating in two “Happy Death Day” features, making her beloved in genre circles. Beyond that, the production has to rely on emotional textures and gorgeous imagery, and thankfully there’s both. While the title suggests something poppy, “Tater Tot & Patton” is more reminiscent of early 1970s filmmaking, where initial unease, slightly comedic in tone, is only masking abyssal pain and addiction, with writer/director Andrew Kightlinger (“Dust of War”) using the stillness of his locations to mine some real heartbreak, finding interesting drama along the way. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1975's "Sarah T. – Portrait of a Teenage Alcoholic" endeavored to continue a tradition that was developing during the 1970s, where producers were getting the idea to bring adolescent issues to prime time television. It was the playground of "After School Special," but such message-minded storytelling was ready to be experienced by a multi-generational viewing audience, giving the concerns of confused young people a prime slot for massive viewership. Films like "Born Innocent" also offered a glimpse of Linda Blair, who became one of the biggest stars in Hollywood after her role as the cursed child Regan in "The Exorcist," gifting the actress continued onscreen agony as she played a runaway, soon graduating to a secret alcoholic in "Sarah T." Brought on for her innocent look and comfort with darkness, Blair delivers a strong performance as the titular juvenile, tasked with communicating the pain and confusion of a youngster caught up in something she doesn't understand and doesn't care to address, while director Richard Donner finds economical ways to convey such growing distress, guiding a collection of dependable actors to back up Blair in this compassionate study of abuse of all kinds. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Making his directorial debut, Jack Lemmon certainly didn't want to risk much with 1971's "Kotch." Instead of reaching into the unknown to cast the effort, he went to frequent collaborator Walter Matthau to star in the picture, also hiring wife Felicia Farr for a supporting role. Lemmon's caution is the smart play, as Matthau delivers a wonderfully animated performance, carrying the production with an atypically optimistic turn as a senior citizen trying to figure out his place in the world, giving Lemmon plenty to work with. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Much like the numerous films based on "The Amityville Horror," "The Howling" has also inspired a franchise where the installments have very little to do with one another, going down their own path with different producers and behind-the-scenes talent, trying to use brand recognition to lure viewers back into the depths of low-budget horror entertainment. Writer/director Philippe Mora certainly couldn't be faulted for trying to change his approach to the series, with his "Howling II" entering production with a certain attempt at menace, ending up something wacky and crudely exploitative, a far cry from Joe Dante's 1981 achievement. Unwilling to accept the results, Mora returns to action with "The Howling III," which doesn't have anything to do with the previous chapters, retreating to the wilds of Australia to contort werewolf myth into a cinematic offering that's greatly influenced by its surroundings, emerging with a genre romp that's more humorous than horrifying, and rarely does it make much sense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There's a category of sexploitation called "roughies." These are darker endeavors that merge the graphic highlights of adult cinema with a degree of violence, playing into shadowed corners of stimulation that are often better off left unexplored. 1974's "A Climax of Blue Power" is an example of a roughie, but one that's mindful of audience expectations while trying to deliver a more concrete tale of mental illness run amok. It's a highly bizarre movie, but that's the point, with director Lee Frost stepping inside a disturbed character to capture his concept of fantasy and his capacity for harm. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

The softening of Seth Rogen hasn’t been easy for Hollywood. He’s not the cuddly type, and while his forays into romantic and domestic comedies have been limited, a few have scored, including 2007’s “Knocked Up.” For “Long Shot,” Rogen attempts to play a more traditional leading man role, tasked with making screen magic with co-star Charlize Theron, with hopes to mute his usual tomfoolery and sell the part with more wit than nonsense. “Long Shot” gets most of the way there, and while Rogen doesn’t stray too far from his comedy crutches, he finds a way to develop a performance while dealing out his usual stoner jokes and penis references. Perhaps chemistry with Theron is a bit of a reach, but Rogen dials down some wackiness in an effort to allow the feature a chance to reach the heart along with the funny bone. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

“The Intruder” is not a film that requires a tight respect for logic. It’s a PG-13 thriller for the mass audience, with screenwriter David Loughery showing little interest in normal human behavior when dealing with a feature that’s primarily out to make viewers squirm and scream. However, there’s a breaking point for this type of entertainment, and “The Intruder” quickly finds it, delivering a small-scale chiller that’s obsessed with keeping its characters dumb, almost to a point where a medical explanation should be required to properly identify some of their choices in the film. Loughery has already made this picture, several times in fact (also scripting “Obsessed,” “Penthouse North,” and “Lakeview Terrace”), and he’s no closer to mastering the formula. He’s proudly offering a low-wattage viewing experience, while director Deon Taylor gives the material a bland VOD rhythm, extending the nightmare long past its expiration date. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com 

2019 appears to be the year where attention returns to the exploits of Ted Bundy, one of the most savage and recognizable of serial killers from the 20th century. In January, director Joe Berlinger debuted “Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes,” offering viewers a chance to see the murderer work through his own thoughts and delusions, presenting a clear view of a madman trying his best to deflect attention away from his inner evil. And now Berlinger returns with “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil, and Vile,” which dramatizes Bundy’s life with girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall and his experiences in and out of custody while dealing with mounting legal issues. The helmer provides an abundance of Bundy material for consumption, but with “Extremely Wicked,” he aims to slip inside the skin of a lunatic, with star Zac Efron perfectly matched to the charms and impatience of the monster, submitting an impressively nuanced performance that often single-handedly carries the feature. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

I’m sure when most people think of Dr. Ruth Westheimer, the image of a short, heavily accented woman with defined opinions on the ways of sexual response comes to mind. She achieved the peak of her fame in the 1980s, becoming a hot accessory to any television program, happily sharing her unique personality with the world. While it seems Dr. Ruth Mania has died down in the intervening years, director Ryan White hopes to reignite interest in the subject with “Ask Dr. Ruth,” a documentary that charts the now 90-year-old woman’s turbulent life and her rise to pop culture dominance, leading with a sincere mission to educate viewers and listeners about the wonders of their genitalia. White is also determined to reestablish Dr. Ruth’s credentials, making clear points about her authority and groundbreaking ability to offer direct advice concerning the critical needs and desires of those searching for guidance. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After making her mark with comedies in the 1990s, actress Lin Shaye found a fresh way to keep her career going in 2000s, becoming a fixture of horror entertainment, especially through her involvement with the “Insidious” features, making a franchise initially about other actors her own. She’s been terrific in these haunted house experiences, but “Room for Rent” isn’t looking for Shaye to stand still while nightmarish visions do all the heavy lifting. Director Tommy Stovall wants to keep Shaye active here, providing her with a meaty role as a seemingly simple woman who loses all contact with reality while managing a bed and breakfast. “Room for Rent” doesn’t ride off the rails like the best psychological thrillers, but it has Shaye, and she’s excellent here, supplying raw emotion and a credible nutso factor to help buttress the production when it eventually runs out of ideas. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com