“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

Fred Olen Ray (billed here as "Ed Raymond") has over 150 directorial credits during his career, and 2001's "Venomous" is…one of the them. Scripted by Dan Golden and Sean McGinly, the feature endeavors to recreate the experience of watching 1995's "Outbreak" without having to pay for blockbuster production demands, including locations and A-list actors. It's marketed as an animal attack picture, but the material is more about a viral spread, allowing Ray to work with budgetary limitations and keep rattlesnake action to a minimum. "Venomous" is B-movie entertainment, and it finds something interesting to do with initial scenes of spreading illness and community confusion. Unfortunately, the material quickly graduates to absurdity to help fill 97 minutes of screen time, and the wilder the effort becomes the more tedious it grows. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

1982's "Roommates" is an oddity in the adult film industry. The feature isn't out to titillate, going a more dramatic route with its study of three women battling all kinds of demons and disappointments in their lives. It's a tale of New York City struggling from director Chuck Vincent and screenwriter Rick Marx, who place their focus on personal problems and horrific situations of survival. It's a bleak movie, going against expectations for X-rated entertainment, and such severity keeps it interesting, even while storytelling turns are a little too rough to ride at times. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

Screenwriters David Guggenheim (“The Christmas Chronicles”) and Joe Barton (“The Lazarus Project”) aren’t out to reinvent spy cinema with “The Union.” In fact, they play it pretty safe, adding a slight “Men in Black” element as the story follows an Average Joe into a secret world of black ops and globetrotting heroism. It’s meant to be light and also pack a punch, putting pressure on director Julian Farino (a television vet) to deliver something big for the mass audience. “The Union” doesn’t have surprises, and perhaps it’s too generic at times, failing to amaze viewers with its offering of espionage and teamwork. However, all is not lost in the feature, which has slight appeal thanks to stars Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg, who are joined by a decent supporting cast out to add personality to an otherwise mild effort. It’s nothing outrageous, but as this type of afternoon distraction goes, the movie speeds along comfortably enough. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

In “Crescent City,” there’s the threat of immediate danger with the presence of a serial killer in the area. There’s also pressure building in various relationships, putting partners and lovers at odds during a dark time in Little Rock, Arkansas. Screenwriter Rich Ronat (“American Sicario,” “The Rising Hawk”) appears to have an idea to go beyond the usual in police thrillers, trying to complicate a central situation of investigation with various motivations and secret histories, making it difficult for viewers to stay one step of ahead of all the troubled people hunting for a murderer. The execution of this screenplay is another story, as director RJ Collins (“Don’t Suck”) isn’t skilled with shades of gray, also lacking a great deal of style and suspense with “Crescent City,” which clumsily tries to be a whodunit, but mostly remains a whocares as little of the endeavor becomes passably interesting. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

After directing 1979’s “Alien,” Ridley Scott returned to the series in 2012’s “Prometheus” with hopes to infuse it with a Big Idea. His vision was a little unsteady and noncommittal, with 2017’s “Alien: Covenant” putting the series back to bed. Now helmer Fede Alvarez (2013’s “Evil Dead” and “Don’t Breathe”) goes into “Force Awakens” mode to revive the franchise, with “Alien: Romulus” looking to embrace the entire “Alien” universe while submitting a new battle between xenomorphs and the space travelers who hate them. There’s a lot of rehash going around in the sequel, but Alvarez also has some fresh ideas to share with the audience, expanding on corporate rule and ship exploration. It’s executed superbly at times, providing a fantastic thrill ride that plays with sequel iconography and plotting. “Romulus” achieves most of its creative goals, giving the faithful another showdown with the “perfect organism,” while also setting things up for a new generation of viewers. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

One of the most popular social media experiences this year has been the “Man or Bear” debate, where women are left to choose whom they’d feel more comfortable with when alone. The question explored the reality of safety in the female experience, hitting on uncomfortable truths about predatory behavior, especially from men. “Blink Twice” is essentially the cinematic representation of the issue, with co-writers E.T. Feigenbaum and Zoe Kravitz (who also directs) bringing viewers into a disorienting situation of submission in the middle of nowhere, where seemingly harmless flirtations are exposed as something more. Kravitz lifts moves from Jordan Peele and Ari Aster, but she’s also looking to create her own version of a wide-awake nightmare, offering a technically precise and well-acted understanding of a cruel awakening. “Blink Twice” eventually goes full exploitation to find a finale, but up to this point, it’s an intriguing examination of danger. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

“Skincare” has an unusual approach to its tale, introduced as a “fictional story inspired by true events.” The screenplay by Sam Frelich, Deering Regan, and Austin Peters (who also directs) weaves the real-world horrors of online stalking into a study of business world paranoia and competition, coming up with a dark story of obsession and manipulation. “Skincare” explores the ugly side of Hollywood life, and does so with style and aural menace from Peters, who aims to deliver a pressure cooker viewing experience that keeps escalating until the feature’s final moments. “Skincare” is wicked work, with Peters creating a compelling nightmare on a low budget. Even more impressive is star Elizabeth Banks, who digs into the acting challenge, emerging with one of her best performances, skillfully playing a character who’s unlikable and sympathetic in a picture that welcomes such a disorientating journey. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com

The mourning process is examined in “The Good Half,” as writer Brett Ryland attempts to find his way around the pain and pressures of personal loss, especially when it comes time to deal with family. Ryland has his brighter moments with the film, but he’s mostly interested in creating something tender with the effort, which tracks a young man’s experience after the loss of his mother, confronted with all that’s no longer in his life, also handling people and decisions he doesn’t want anything to do with. Director Robert Schwartzman (“The Unicorn”) sets a softer mood for the feature, which doesn’t have major dramatic plans. Instead, the material looks to explore intimate spaces of distress and confusion, also reinforcing the power of relationships, which helps the picture find some interesting areas of communication. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com