Things are slow in home entertainment this week, which is kind of surprising given the holiday rush opportunity. However, we have a few interesting choices to pick from this week, ranging from a big-budget 3D Peter Pan prequel to a queer Kristen Wiig indie (Nasty Baby, above) to a based-on-a-true-story cerebral thriller.
Read on for the trailers and details!
($26.99 DVD; Sony)
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Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
In what would make a fabulous double-feature with Jonathan Lisecki’s uproarious Gayby (which by the way co-starred the pre-Star Wars Kylo Ren, Adam Driver), writer/director Sebastian Silva’s Brooklyn-set, multi-cultural comedy sees a Chilean gay man, Freddy (played by Silva), and his female best friend, Polly (Kristen Wiig), attempt to have a child together. Unfortunately, Freddy’s sperm count proves too low to make an effective baby batter, so now they must draft either Freddy’s boyfriend, Mo, or younger brother Chino. Add family conflicts, eccentric neighbors, and a cat… Extras include a commentary and making-of featurette.
($44.95 3D Blu-ray, $35.99 Blu-ray, $28.98 DVD; Warner)
One of the year’s biggest box office bombs, director Joe Wright’s 3D spectacle-sequel tells the origin of Peter Pan. Preteen Aussie newcomer Levi Miller plays the orphaned Peter, stuck in London as the Nazis bombard the city during WWII. However, a group of pirates from Neverland end up taking Peter and some other orphans out of that situation, and into the clutches of Blackbeard (Hugh Jackman, chewing up scenery), who realizes there is something special and possibly dangerous about this boy since he can fly. The reviews speak for themselves on this one (27 percent rating on aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes), but at least it’s got some eye candy and fun set pieces. Extras include four making of featurettes and a commentary.
($34.98 Blu-ray, $29.98 DVD; Universal)
Based on a true story, this biopic zooms in on the 1972 Cold War-era match between chess genius Bobby Fisher and Russia’s Boris Spassky during the World Chess Championship in Iceland. Would this American, one of the most famed former child chess prodigies of all time, be able to bring an end to Russia’s 24-year winning Championship run? And if he does, what sorts of political tensions will that cause? Tobey Maguire proves he has serious acting chops again as Fisher, while Peter Sarsgaard (also amazing in this year’s under-the-radar Experimenter) and Liev Schreiber also do excellent work. Extras include a featurette.
ALSO OUT:
Fantastic Four
Dragon Blade
