For 181 episodes of television, actor Gary Coleman managed to charm viewers with his cherubic appearance and comfort with comedy. He was one of the stars of “Diff’rent Strokes,” initially cast for his ease in front of a camera, only to develop into a pop culture icon, complete with a catchphrase (“What’choo talkin’ about, Willis?”) and seemingly endless energy to capitalize on such rare success. But there was a very real side to Coleman’s life, especially after his time on the sitcom, and director Robin Dashwood makes a little effort to explore his experience in “Gary,” a documentary that examines some of his highs and most of his lows. A sensationalistic tone permeates the film, as Dashwood can’t resist the ugly side of Coleman’s days. However, there’s an opportunity to understand the late subject’s perspective in life, comprehending decisions that became tabloid fodder, while his pain is made crystal clear. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“You Gotta Believe” is based on the true story of Bobby Ratliff, a Little League coach of a struggling team who was diagnosed with cancer, forcing him to balance medical demands with his desire to watch his players make their way to the Little League World Series. Screenwriter Lane Garrison has all the basics in underdog cinema to work with, and he’s done this before, scripting 2021’s “12 Mighty Orphans,” which also dealt with an unsteady Texas team of young people trying to find their way to glory. Surprises are limited in “You Gotta Believe,” but director Ty Roberts (who also helmed “12 Mighty Orphans”) at least makes an effort to energize the viewing experience with baseball action and adolescent shenanigans. The picture captures youthful activity capably, and there’s an inspiring tale of teamwork in the middle of it all, giving the endeavor some emotional power as it follows a storytelling playbook. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1978's "A Formal Faucett" is a very odd movie. Director Fred J. Lincoln is out to capture Farrah Fawcett mania with the picture, cooking up his own take on the actress's fame, including her association with the hit show, "Charlie's Angels." And yet, there's really nothing going on in the effort, which initially suggests a broader approach to comedy, only to supply extraordinarily little story, and star Dorothy LeMay doesn't even look like Fawcett. As humor in adult filmmaking goes, "A Formal Faucett" could use a lot more wackiness, with Lincoln lightly pawing the potential of the feature. Lincoln can't even get carnal activity going in a major way, leaving the viewing experience more about watching the production turn to lengthy stretches of padding to fill an already short (67 minutes) endeavor. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In one of those weird trends that developed marketplace power during the 1970s and '80s, revenge stories involving sexual assault became a thing for producers looking to make a quick buck by focusing on female suffering. It's an uncomfortable subgenre, with debatable empowerment claims, inspiring more than a few duds, but cash collected by movies such as "I Spit on Your Grave" and "Ms. 45" kept the pictures coming, including 1983's "Deep in the Heart" (a.k.a. "Handgun," which is the title on the Blu-ray presentation). Instead of going ugly with the endeavor, writer/director Tony Garnett approaches the horrors of violence from a different angle, and he's not exclusively interested in tormenting his lead character as she's emotionally and physically destroyed by a cruel male companion. "Deep in the Heart" has an appreciation of pain, but it's also interested in Texas culture as it deals with gun ownership, fragile masculinity, and the mental illness. It's fascinating feature for the most part, with Garnett genuinely doing something different with the material, creating a chilling snapshot of male insecurity and manipulation that remains frighteningly relevant today. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Trends in horror are a common occurrence, and they often result in some weird takes on the source material. 1993's "Herencia Diabolica" aims to cash-in on the "Child's Play" craze (the film is also known as "The Mexican Chucky"), bringing the nightmare of a killer doll to life once again, only without much in the way of a budget or screenwriting. It's a cheap endeavor from co-writer/director Alfredo Salazar, who doesn't have the time and patience to establish a functional genre exercise. He's more focused on filling the run time, delivering a heavily padded offering of tiny terror with "Herencia Diabolica," which is dull and generally uninterested in craziness for almost an hour, and when the effort finally gets around to macabre happenings, there's still a concerning lack of insanity to make the picture memorable beyond its severe creative shortcomings. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Insane Clown Posse. For outsiders, there are only a few things known about the rap group. They wear clown makeup everywhere they go, there's some type of obsession with a Detroit soda brand Faygo, and they have no idea how magnets work. 2021's "The United States of Insanity" isn't out to provide an extensive understanding of Insane Clown Posse and their inner workings, with directors Tom Putnam and Brenna Sanchez focusing on their legal entanglements. The documentary follows their fight to pull the fan nickname "Juggalo" off the FBI's list of dangerous gangs, with members Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope going apoplectic as they confront a serious challenge to their first amendment rights. "The United States of Insanity" explores the Juggalo way, identifying the very real people hurt by this designation, with many simply out to enjoy the horrorcore hip-hop group and the loyal community that's been created to celebrate all things Insane Clown Posse.

Sadly, the magnet question remains unanswered in the picture. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1999's "A Man Called Hero" is an adaptation of a comic book series, exploring the dramatic highs and lows of a kindly warrior and his battles with tragedy and magically powered enemies. It's wuxia entertainment from Hong Kong, offering an ambitious mix of martial arts action and soap opera- style dramatic entanglements. The idea here is to excite audiences and also bring them to tears at times with its story of longing and loss, but the execution is a little lethargic from director Andrew Lau, who puts on a big show with the production's epic intent, but can't spark the picture's sensitivities to life in a more meaningful manner. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Crow” began life as a comic book in the late-1980s, with the cult property turned into a 1994 movie starring the late Brandon Lee. The actor was killed while making the picture, giving it an unusual energy and curiosity factor that turned it into a box office hit. The brand name has been returned to multiple times over the decades, and nothing has matched the creative highs and monetary rewards of the original film, but producers keep trying. They’re back at it with “The Crow,” which is a new take on the James O’Barr literary creation, and once again the material comes up short. There is a defined change of pace for this new endeavor, which barely features the eponymous character, instead sticking with the power of love and the confusion of death to fuel a thoroughly uninspired effort from director Rupert Sanders, who’s already been responsible for two previous slogs in “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Ghost in the Shell.” Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

There’s no way to touch the masterpiece that is 1989’s “The Killer.” A berserk, stylized, wonderfully melodramatic creation, the picture is rightfully considered by most to be director John Woo’s finest film. It’s a very special offering of action cinema. 35 years later, Woo returns to the material for something along the lines of a remake, with screenwriters Brian Helgeland, Josh Campbell, and Matt Stuecken working to update the story with a cooler sense of personal engagement, also westernizing the distinctly Hong Kong original. “The Killer” doesn’t live up to the 1989 production, it doesn’t even try to for the most part, with Woo now an older man creating an offering for streaming audiences. However, it’s not completely subdued work, with the effort rising up to deliver some key moments of violence, giving stars Nathalie Emmanuel and Omar Sy something to play as they bring life to a less operatic viewing experience. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

It’s hard to be a teen comedy these days. The adolescent experience has changed so radically since the subgenre’s heyday in the 1980s, and it’s difficult to understand if audiences really want to endure the troubles of being a 2024 kid. Instead of going the John Hughes route like many other moviemakers, writer/directors Dave and John Chernin retain some hard edges of tomfoolery with “Incoming,” which hopes to deliver a raucous good time to its intended audience. Sweetness is attempted, but crudeness is mostly favored in the material, which follows the exploits of four high school freshmen trying to navigate a particularly active party night. Originality is limited to a few ideas, with the rest of the endeavor sticking with ugly encounters and dim passes at humor, with the Chernins looking to create something short and broad for streaming audiences. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“The Deliverance” is based on the story of LaToya Ammons, who claimed demons were responsible for violent behaviors involving children in her household in 2011, eventually turning to the church for help with exorcism needs. Such tales of satanic possession are popular these days, and the feature seems eager to replicate the success of “The Conjuring” franchise, once again partnering overwhelmed innocence with a God-fearing enforcer. The difference here is director Lee Daniels, the often overheated helmer of “Precious,” “The Paperboy,” and “The United States vs. Billie Holiday.” In his hands, “The Deliverance” is stripped of spookiness and nuance, coming very close to becoming the camp classic of 2024. There’s a lot of real-world suffering involved in this story, but hope for an understanding of one woman’s pain is punted away in the final hour, which becomes like every other evil extraction movie in the marketplace. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

At one point during the climax of “Between the Temples,” one character tries to decode the complex emotional experience of another by asking, “Are you laughing or crying?” This query actually represents the agitated state of the viewing experience, with co-writers C. Mason Wells and Nathan Silver aiming to flood the endeavor with nervous energy, playing with delicate feelings and puzzling responses to mental health challenges. “Between the Temples” is about the development of an unusual connection involving two different people, with Silver working through the nuances of friendship and attraction to find something special in the midst of confusion. The feature has a sharp sense of personality and a bizarre permissiveness when it comes to its filmmaking approach, and Silver has pure magic in stars Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, with the actors embracing the free range experience, landing bits of humor and heartache in a movie that wants viewers to feel everything. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2021, director Potsy Ponciroli made a positive impression with “Old Henry.” It was a slow-burn western exploring a cowboy showdown in the middle of nowhere, and the picture scored with mood and performances, finding a fresh take for the well-worn genre. Ponciroli returns with “Greedy People,” which gets away from the Old West, but remains in a strange area of hidden histories and threatening characters, sold with a darkly comedic approach by screenwriter Mike Vukadinovich (“Rememory”). “Greedy People” is very much in the Coen Brothers vein of crazy happenings hitting easily overwhelmed people, but the feature’s sense of humor isn’t nearly as strong. Ponciroli definitely has difficulty trying to smoothly navigate the odd tones of the movie, which is saddled with an impossibly heavy final act. The road to the conclusion is a bit steadier, examining rising paranoia and horrible accidents with a playful cast and a decent pace. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

As a producer, Jon Keeyes specializes in VOD/streaming fodder, offering ex-A-list stars big paychecks to appear in subpar endeavors with generic titles such as “The Survivalist,” “Rogue Hostage,” and “Boneyard.” As a director, Keeyes stays with company business, making forgettable efforts, including recent collaborations with Antonio Banderas in “Code Name Banshee” and “Cult Killer.” The helmer keeps the Banderas streak alive with his latest offering, “The Clean Up Crew,” which trades dark, glum tales of murder and revenge for a Guy Ritchie knock off that’s loaded with editing tricks and gonzo performances, meant to simulate a good time. Keeyes doesn’t have the money or ability to pull off such wicked style, and “The Clean Up Crew” is derivative and unpleasant, clearly struggling to generate a wild ride of colliding personalities and underworld events. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Catching Dust” is a British production about pain and isolation in the middle of Texas. Writer/director Stuart Gatt makes his feature-length debut with the effort, which is a chamber piece tracking the slow but steady rise of tensions between two couples living in a remote commune space. These are toxic partnerships, leaving the writing to explore communication issues and power plays, with the screenplay only exiting the setting for a one brief moment. The rest of “Catching Dust” is left to the actors, who do a commendable job navigating the material’s somewhat strange take on commitment, providing some feel for rising tensions as details of these lives start to become clear as the picture unfolds. It’s a slower paced endeavor with a less than satisfying conclusion, but Gatt hits on a few interesting points of loyalty, and he works well with the atmospheric location. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

While Hollywood usually works very hard to rob movie titles of their uniqueness, the producers of “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” have decided to leave things be, retaining the name of author Edward Kelsey Moore’s 2013 novel. The adaptation challenge is left to screenwriters Gina Prince-Bythewood and Tina Mabry (who also directs), who are tasked with fitting in as many of Moore’s subplots as possible. “The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat” is one stuffed viewing experience, with Mabry challenged to balance numerous relationships and moments in time, tasked with weaving together a study of friendship and devotion during the highs and lows of life. The material doesn’t always command attention, going where many soap operas have gone before, but the cast assembled here gives their all, working to make somewhat odd characters into feeling people, and it’s enjoyable to watch these interpretations come to life. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Writer/director/actors John Adams and Toby Poser attracted some critical attention with 2021’s “Hellbender,” making a minor breakthrough in their careers. The married filmmakers also delivered 2023’s little-seen “Where the Devil Roams,” building their interest in horror experiences. With “Hell Hole,” a return to genre storytelling is found, taking the action to Eastern Europe with a low-budget monster movie involving a small collection of characters. “Hell Hole” deals with the rampaging survival needs of a vicious, body-inhabiting cephalopod, but those expecting a lively picture with plenty of bloody encounters are sure to be disappointed with this feature. Adams and Poser don’t have money for physical events, keeping the endeavor talky and mostly uninteresting, asking viewers to participate in what’s basically a filmed play with a cast of unseasoned actors. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1998's "Lost in Space" is primarily known for two reasons, with the first being its status as a big-budget adaptation of a popular Irwin Allen television show from the 1960s that ran for three seasons, collecting a sizable cult following after its cancelation. The second concerns the incredible run 1997's "Titanic" had at the box office, dominating the top spot for 15 weeks, drowning all the competition. The streak eventually ended, with "Lost in Space" finally dethroning the disaster film, offering ticket-buyers a high-tech sci-fi/fantasy presentation of escapism, and, for one weekend, it was the most popular release in America. It's a good piece of movie trivia, but it's not always the most engaging blockbuster. Director Stephen Hopkins certainly puts in an effort to make the endeavor shiny and splashy, giving it a good gallop at times, even with the defined limits of CGI artistry. It's screenwriter Akiva Goldsman who holds the whole thing back, with the man behind "Batman & Robin" and "A Beautiful Mind" trying to be quippy and mind-bending with the roller coaster ride, which is often bogged down by the weight of a needlessly elaborate story. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dean Martin was the entertainer. The man of the Rat Pack and musical delights maintained a steady acting career throughout the 1960s, often returning to the comfort of western entertainment. The genre provided Martin with a chance to inhabit hard men and sly dogs, with 1968's "5 Card Stud" playing to his strengths as a screen presence, returning the actor to the Old West for another round of intimidation games. Screenwriter Marguerite Roberts adapts a novel by Ray Gaulden, creating a detective story of sorts for director Henry Hathaway, who reunites with Martin after their collaboration on 1965's "The Sons of Katie Elder." "5 Card Stud" is an unusual feature in some ways, with sleuthing and itchy interactions prioritized here. Genre highlights are limited in the endeavor, which is greatly supported by the cast, who try to liven up a somewhat lumbering offering of criminal investigation. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com