"Ezra" is the fifth directorial outing for actor Tony Goldwyn, but his first helming job in 14 years (his last was 2010's "Conviction"). It's been an erratic career behind-the-camera for Goldwyn, who favors character-based dramas, gifting him room to explore situations of emotional stress and confrontation, and there's always space for actors, with one of their own calling the shots, making time to massage performances. "Ezra" checks all the boxes on a Goldwyn film, and it remains another frustrating misfire for him. It's a study of a father going to extremes to deal with his career and his autistic son, with screenwriter Tony Spiridakis using his own parental experiences to inform the turbulent feelings in the work. The picture means well enough, but it doesn't connect as an examination of relationships, and the writing has a very blunt take on the main character's sense of authority when handling extremely sensitive family issues. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 1984, "Red Dawn" offered a look at an American invasion by foreign aggressors, with co-writer/director John Milius trying to sell the idea of Colorado teenagers fighting to defend their land from occupation. Many critics scoffed at the idea of adolescents turning into patriotic war machines, leaving an opening for 1985's "Invasion U.S.A." to sell a more direct visual of American heroism. Would you laugh at Chuck Norris? Well, possibly, but the star goes full steeliness in the actioner, which also covers battle zone happenings between vicious foreign intruders and terrified locals. Director Joseph Zito ("Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter," "Missing in Action") seems to be hanging on for dear life with the endeavor, offering a wildly uneven and shockingly inert take on a surefire premise that welcomes big screen hellraising. There's Norris with guns and a growl, mobs of enemies, and locations to blow up. And yet, "Invasion U.S.A." feels too leisurely at times, only occasionally working up the energy to sell the central idea of home defense. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Dolph Lundgren has battled Rocky Balboa and Skeletor, but can he defeat an alien visiting Earth out to collect human bodily fluid to sell on his home planet? 1990's "Dark Angel" (released in the U.S. as "I Come in Peace") picks up where the 1980s left off, bringing the dangers of drug dealers into the sci-fi realm, with Lundgren fitted for a Schwarzenegger role, complete with big guns and one-liners. Director Craig R. Baxley ("Stone Cold") is tasked with waking up a strange serial killer-esque story, and he turns to fire to do so, filling the actioner with enough explosions to make the feature feel like a 1976 KISS concert at times. "Dark Angel" is wet with cliché, and the material doesn't do enough with its central idea of E.T. becoming Scarface, but the blow-em-up attitude of the endeavor is intermittently exciting, keeping things somewhat lively for the B-movie production. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1998's "Phantoms" represents an attempt to do something cinematic with the literary world of Dean Koontz. The author claims a screenwriting credit on this adaptation of his 1983 novel, but the feature isn't too careful to remain in a state of mystery and horror. It's a Dimension Pictures production from the late 1990s, and the company's efforts to play to young moviegoers is in full effect here, sending easily overwhelmed actors into battle against some poorly realized CGI creations and screwy storytelling. Director Joe Chappelle ("Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers") tries to pack in as much atmosphere as he can, but it's a losing battle with producers Bob and Harvey Weinstein, who demand foolishness and get it here, with a promising opening act quickly changing into tired routine. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Prolific Canadian director Bruce McDonald gets his start in feature-length filmmaking with 1989's "Roadkill." It's an offering of quirk and contemplation from the helmer, who sets out to make a road movie with very little money and a screenplay (credited to Don McKellar) that allows for a wandering mood of experiences facing a woman on a mission to find a band in Northern Ontario. "Roadkill" is something of a comedy, but McDonald is more interested in the journey, allowing the endeavor to roam. It's a fine example of indie cinema from the Great White North, but as a viewing experience on its own, the picture isn't quite as involving, especially when it starts to run out of ideas. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Rob Jabbaz makes his feature-length directorial debut with "The Sadness," heading to the world of horror to create a first impression with audiences, like many aspiring moviemakers before him. It's zombie cinema in a way, but the material is largely inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, with production taking place in 2020, when the world was still trying to manage the details of the viral event. "The Sadness" uses this sense of confusion and chaos as a starting point for a tale of survival, with Jabbaz working to add as much blood and guts as possible. "The Sadness" is an exercise in extremity, and while the helmer has all the gore and ugliness imaginable, he neglects to create a pace to the endeavor, which never feels alive as it drags from one makeup effects display to the next. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Francois Ozon heads in a different direction for 2000's "Water Drops on Burning Rocks," collecting inspiration from an early play by Ranier Werner Fassbinder, who happens to share the helmer's fascination with the breakdown possibilities of the human mind. Serving up another tale of obsession and submission, Ozon preserves the stillness of the original work, primarily focusing on a small collection of characters who spend time inside an apartment dealing with their relationship issues and levels of subservience. "Water Drops on Burning Rocks" is a character-driven viewing experience, with Ozon trying to open up the material with interesting staging, while the cast offers commitment to the writing, which takes the players in this game of power on perilous psychological journey. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

For his second movie, writer/director Francois Ozon heads to a fairy tale for inspiration. 1999's "Criminal Lovers" is partly a retelling of "Hansel and Gretel," only instead of two young siblings dealing with abandonment and hunger, Ozon offers a pair of teen lovers struggling with the aftermath of murder and the confusion of escape. In keeping with the filmmaker's dramatic interests, the picture goes sexual, finding areas of obsession and manipulation to explore to help spice up the viewing experience. "Criminal Lovers" endeavors to be disturbing and emotionally raw, but Ozon slows the pace to a full stop at times, unable to bring his ideas to life as he tries to turn what appears to be a concept for a short into a feature-length examination of corruption. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Francois Ozon makes his feature-length directing debut with 1998's "Sitcom," building storytelling skills sharpened on short films and 1997's "See the Sea." The helmer (who also scripts) takes aim at the family unit with the endeavor, looking to pry open the supposed normalcy of a household suddenly going through a torrent of changes. Ozon displays his wicked sense of humor and fondness for extremity with the movie, which has its share of shock value and strangeness. There's also a certain darkness to the picture that's fascinating to watch, with the cast committing to Ozon's fetishistic imagination in a heroic way, making the viewing experience surprisingly palatable. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1970's "The Plot Against Harry" has an interesting exhibition history. The picture was shot in 1969, with writer/director Michael Roemer confident in the process, but initial reaction to the movie was muted at best. The effort was eventually shelved after a single theater release in 1971. In 1989, Roemer was inspired to try again, submitting the feature to film festivals, where it acquired a second life and critical praise. Roemer's endeavor was revived, finally reaching audiences, and it's quality work from the helmer, who submits a fast-paced study of building pressure on a criminal trying to balance the chaos of his life. It's a sharply acted and textured understanding of stress, with Roemer taking the material to weird and wild places of conflict and control. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Conrad Brooks was a B-movie actor primarily known for his association with notorious director Ed Wood, and he would be the first person to remind you of this connection. Brooks participated in the making of "Glen or Glenda," "The Sinister Urge," and "Plan 9 from Outer Space," enjoying the attention of such career achievements, and he has a superfan in Dave "The Rock" Nelson. A monster cinema maniac, Nelson developed a desire, perhaps obsession, to make little pictures indulging his greatest genre fantasies, cranking out titles while paying no attention to technical achievements. It's all about the love of the game for Nelson, who tries to blend his favorite things in 1994's "Conrad Brooks vs. Werewolf," which puts the actor in the danger zone, portraying…well, himself, as he spends a sunny afternoon in Baltimore running around a pier and a cemetery, chasing Nelson in a Halloween mask. The intent is to generate a shot-on-video romp with older men and a helmer who really has little idea what he's doing. It's meant to be fun, but "Conrad Brooks vs. Werewolf," from the moment it begins, transforms into a small screen dead zone, with viewers treated to amateur acting and backyard filmmaking that puts in no effort to become the schlocky blast it imagines itself to be. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Director Kevin Hegge ("She Said Boom: The Story of the Fifth Column") looks to go beyond punk and assorted mainstream culture movements with "Tramps," which is being sold as a study of the New Romantic era in British style, but it doesn't share much interest in the topic. The feature looks to head deeper into counterculture ways during the 1970s and early '80s, with Hegge creating more of a tribute than an offering of journalism, driven to highlight the "Blitz Kids" experience in London, where young people all powered up on arts education set out to alter scenes of the city with their imagination. "Tramps" captures a time and place vividly, and the helmer has access to charismatic people willing to share their memories and dreams, contributing to an overall understanding of creative ambition. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Origin" is a giant swing from writer/director Ava DuVernay, who hasn't made a screen offering since the financial and creative failure of "A Wrinkle in Time," a production meant to bring the helmer to the big leagues of event moviemaking. DuVernay is back with a much smaller film about an expansive topic, adapting the 2020 best-seller, "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," which takes a hard look at the source of prejudice as people experience it in several parts of the world and different moments in time. It's 496 pages of journalism transformed into a 140-minute-long feature, and DuVernay doesn't always appear to have a game plan for the endeavor. She uses a scattergun approach to "Origin," which wants to say so much about the state of emergency numerous societies are experiencing, but DuVernay is overwhelmed by the task. It's obviously an ambitious picture with important ideas to share, but it doesn't take long to realize that reading "Caste" is likely more rewarding then sitting through this cluttered effort. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Attempts are always made to turn music stars into movie stars. It's a Hollywood tradition, finding producers luring singers to become actors, hoping their legions of fans will make the leap and create some box office magic, remaining loyal to their favorites. In 1987, Madonna was everything in popular culture, managing to top the charts, sell out concerts, and dominate media attention, with her every move captured and scrutinized. Madonna was big business. And yet, when it came to making pictures, the superstar couldn't pay people to see her films. While her appearance in 1985's "Desperately Seeking Susan" garnered some attention, Madonna's foray into major roles crashed with 1986's "Shanghai Surprise." 1987's "Who's That Girl" also flopped, with the production aiming to bring out Madonna's bubbly best with an homage to classic screwball comedies, allowing her to mix elements of Betty Boop and Judy Holliday in an endeavor that's strictly out to please. The actual entertainment value of the effort isn't quite as strong, but director James Foley (coming off "At Close Range") always keeps "Who's That Girl" on the move. It's a wise choice to stick with speed, while Madonna remains charmingly excitable in the part, offering one of the better performances of her unsteady thespian career. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

A longtime cinematographer, Sean Price Williams is best known for his work with Alex Ross Perry, favoring unsteady imagery for indie offerings about emotional breakdowns. He takes on a greater professional challenge with "The Sweet East," accepting directorial duties on the endeavor, working with screenwriter Nick Pinkerton on a picaresque concerning a teenage girl and her quest to escape her everyday life, heading through a series of misadventures with potentially predatory people. "The Sweet East" is a free-flowing viewing experience suited to Williams's artistic interests, and he brings a loose energy to the effort, which attempts to swing through various moods with humor and oddity. It's not a particularly satisfying picture, but it does have appealing moments of strangeness to keep it interesting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Co-writers Blake Novak and Matthew Chapman (who also directs) take an odd journey into the ways of moviemaking with "Strangers Kiss." The screenplay takes a fictional look at the making of "Killer's Kiss," which was the second feature from director Stanley Kubrick, using a pressurized situation to inspire a study of temptation and jealousy, also adding in an overall appreciation of technical effort. Chapman and Novak hunt for heat and tension with the endeavor, but they never quite reach a level of intimacy with this study of obsession. It's the rest of "Strangers Kiss" that's definitely more involving, watching a Kubrick-ian helmer command the actors and oversee the daily grind of creating shots and managing personalities. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

"Mars Express" is a French production from co-writer/director Jeremie Perin, who brings viewers into a future where the line between robot and human has been blurred. The feature is a low-budget endeavor with big creativity driving it, delivering a sci-fi tale of extinction with neo-noir elements, giving the detective story routine a different spin. Perin is attentive to the needs of his audience, keeping the picture active with futureworld sights and periodic blasts of action. However, there's a human core to the film which is most impressive, as Perin and co-writer Laurent Sarfati aim to generate a deeper understanding of emotional ties with complex characters. Such attention to detail really helps "Mars Express" achieve dramatic satisfaction and land a few surprises along the way, making for a more meaningful sit, though the sleek visuals also have their tremendous appeal as well. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In 2013, writer/director Zach Clark created "White Reindeer," which was a nicely crafted dark comedy, showing some invention and a sense of humor for a low-budget endeavor. In 2010, Clark delivered "Vacation," which provides a good reason to watch "White Reindeer" again. Attempting to make something loose and bizarre with four characters trying to have some fun in Florida, the helmer aims to get weird and melancholy with the feature, which doesn't have much in the way of a plot or purpose at times. It's meant to be more of an experience with moods and mischief, but it often plays without much energy, offering a meandering understanding of emotional issues and friendships. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The world of virtual reality is explored in 1998's "Game of Pleasure." Well, perhaps the idea of virtual reality is a more accurate understanding of the feature, which doesn't have interest in the technology, only its mysterious possibilities as it relates to softcore entertainment. Going where perhaps many B-movies have gone before, "Game of Pleasure" is a 62-minute-long, shot-on-video picture with roughly 15 minutes of actual storytelling, finding director Dale Frantz on a mission to construct a release almost entirely made up of padding. The endeavor deals with the temptation of computer realms and the oversexed activities of roommates, and while Frantz has designs on turning the effort into a horror experience, he mostly remains on horniness and emptiness, which isn't appealing. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The 1973 release of "The Exorcist" took the moviegoing world by surprise. It was a horror film that shook viewers in a way previously unseen, offering a study of religion, terror, and the corruption of youth, and it became a visceral viewing experience for many. The picture was a major hit, and, as always, when there's success, imitators aren't far behind. Perhaps most notable was "Abby," a quickie 1974 endeavor that actually managed to irritate Warner Brothers, who sued to get the obvious rip-off out of theaters. Sneaking into the party is 1975's "Sex Demon," with writer/director J.C. Crickett using the basic idea of "The Exorcist" to inspire a no-budget replication for adult audiences. He does away with mood and character, cranking up the aggression in this peculiar effort, which aims to take the work of the devil somewhat seriously in the middle of obvious goofiness. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com