Tag: Naomi Watts

4K UHD, Blu-ray Release: Eastern Promises

4K UHD & Blu-ray Release Date: March 22, 2022
Price: 4K UHD/Blu-ray $27.99, Blu-ray $19.99
Studio: Kino Lorber

Visionary filmmaker David Cronenberg (Scanners, The Fly) and muse Viggo Mortensen (The Indian Runner, A Dangerous Method) follow up A History of Violence with another acclaimed joint effort, the mesmerizing crime drama Eastern Promises.

Mortensen delivers an Oscar-nominated performance as Nikolai, a ruthless and mysterious Russian who has ties to one of the most dangerous crime families in London. His carefully maintained existence is jarred when he crosses paths with Anna (Naomi Watts, Mulholland Drive, The Impossible), a midwife who has come across potentially damaging evidence against the family. Their unusual relationship sets off an unstoppable chain of deceit, death and retribution. Written by Steven Knight (The Girl in the Spider’s Web) with supporting turns by Vincent Cassel (Black Swan) and Armin Mueller-Stahl (Music Box), this brooding and provocative masterpiece is “no ordinary crime thriller, just as Cronenberg is no ordinary director” (Roger Ebert).

Special Features:
-Brand New UHD SDR Master – Approved & Color Graded by Cinematographer Peter Suschitzky
-NEW Interview with Screenwriter Steven Knight
-Secrets and Stories: Featurette with Director David Cronenberg (10:32)
-Marked for Life: Featurette with David Cronenberg (6:42)
-Two Guys Walk Into a Bath House: Featurette with David Cronenberg (1:55)
-Watts on Wheels: Featurette with Naomi Watts (0:55)
-Theatrical Trailer One (2:22) (Newly Mastered in 2K)
-Theatrical Trailer Two (1:54) (Newly Mastered in 2K)
-5.1 Surround & 2.0 Stereo
-Optional English Subtitles

Buy or Rent Eastern Promises

on Blu-ray | 4K UHD/Blu-ray

March 21, 2022
Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD Release: The Glass Castle
Digital Release Date: Oct. 24, 2017, Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Nov. 7, 2017
Price: DVD $14.96, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $26.96
Studio: Lionsgate

Based on the best-selling memoir written by Jeannette Walls, Oscar-winner Brie Larson (Room) and former Cheers star Woody Harrelson (The Messenger) star in the biographical drama The Glass Castle.

Chronicling the adventures of an eccentric, resilient and tight-knit family, The Glass Castle follows the life of a young woman (Larson) who, influenced by the joyfully wild nature of her deeply dysfunctional father (Harrelson), finds the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton (Short Term 12) and written for the screen by Cretton and Andrew Lanham, The Glass Castle also stars Naomi Watts (St. Vincent) and Max Greenfield (Hello, My Name is Doris).

Though it was highly anticipated, The Glass Castle hit the glass ceiling in terms of critical and commercial success upon its theatrical release in August, 2017: it garnered a 48% Fresh Rating at reviews aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 137 published review, and it grossed a disappointing $17.2 million at the domestic box office.

Nonetheless, the Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD releases of the PG-13 film includes the following extensive bonus package:
- 9 Deleted Scenes
- The Glass Castle: Memoir to Movie
- A Conversation with Jeannette Walls
- Making of “Summer Storm” by Joel P West
- Scoring The Glass Castle
Buy or Rent The Glass Castle

on DVD | Blu-ray/DVD Combo | Instant Video
November 10, 2017
Blu-ray Review: Chuck

STUDIO: Paramount | DIRECTOR: Philipe Falardeau | CAST: Liev Schreiber, Elisabeth Moss, Ron Perlman, Naomi Watts, Jim Gaffigan, Michael Rapaport
RELEASE DATE: Aug. 15, 2017 | PRICE: DVD $29.98, Blu-ray $39.99
BONUSES: featurette
SPECS: R | 98 min. | Biography | widescreen 1080p | 5.1 DTS sound | English, Spanish subtitles
RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie | Audio | Video | Overall

Rocky might have all the fame and glory, but Chuck is where the boxing-movie Cinderella story began.

Chuck starring Liev Schreiber and Ron Perlman

The biopic Chuck tells the story of the man who inspired Sylvester Stallone’s multi-award-winning movie: Chuck Wepner. Known as “The Bayonne Bleeder” because of the amount of times he bled in the ring, Chuck Wepner is a New Jersey boxer who, in 1975, was trying to make ends meet when he was given the chance for a title fight against Muhammad Ali. He went up against the best, and although he didn’t win, was lauded for going the distance, falling only seconds shy of the full fifteen rounds. Sound familiar?

Unlike Rocky, Chuck had a wife and daughter when he was given the chance to fight Ali. He also had a penchant for other women and drugs, which caused friction in his family and life. Like Rocky, he’s just trying to get ahead, but his path isn’t as rosy as his movie counterpart’s.

Chuck Wepner is played admirably by Liev Schreiber, who had an obvious passion for the role and, perhaps, empathy for this flawed but likable character. While Schreiber carries the weight of the story, the movie is speckled with other great performances, including The Handmaid’s Tale‘s Elisabeth Moss as Chuck’s wife, Ron Perlman (TV’s Hand of God) as his coach and manager, and Michael Rapaport (TV’s Justified) as his stepped-on brother. It’s also great to see comedian Jim Gaffigan playing a slightly more serious role as Chuck’s loyal friend John. Naomi Watts (3 Generations) rounds out the cast playing the brilliantly mouthy Linda.

The movie is a little uneven in places, but it packs in a lot. As Chuck tries to sort out his life, he’s faced with pseudo-celebrity status from his Ali fight and feelings of seeing your story on the big screen. And he deals with all of it by jumping from one destructive behavior to another.

Still, Chuck is a solid movie that those interested in boxing as well as Rocky fans will enjoy.

The Blu-ray comes with one quick featurette that’s a nice addition to the movie. In it, Liev Schreiber discusses his respect for the real Chuck Wepner, giving a little insight into the man himself. It would’ve been nice to see an interview with the Bayonne Bleeder, though.

Buy or Rent CHUCK

on DVD | Blu-ray | Instant Video

August 6, 2017
Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD Release: 3 Generations

Digital Release Date: June 13, 2017, Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 13, 2017
Price: DVD $18.83, Blu-ray $15.53
Studio: Lionsgate

3 Generations is a star-filled drama-comedy about three generations of a family living under one roof in New York as they deal with the life-changing transformation of a teen as he embarks on gender reassignment.

Elle Fanning and Naomi Watts in 3 Generations

Ray (Elle Fanning, The Neon Demon) is a teenager who has struggled with the body assigned to him at birth and is determined to start transitioning. His single mother, Maggie (Naomi Watts, St. Vincent), must track down Ray’s biological father (Tate Donovan, Sicario) to get his legal consent to allow Ray’s transition. Dolly (Susan Sarandon, The Meddler), Ray’s lesbian grandmother is having a hard time accepting that she now has a grandson. They must each confront their own identities and learn to embrace change and their strength as a family in order to ultimately find acceptance and understanding.

Barely release in theaters in May, 2017, the poorly reviewed film directed by Gaby Dellal is rated PG-13.

The Blu-ray and DVD include deleted and extended scenes.

Buy or Rent 3 Generations

on DVD | Blu-ray | Instant Video

June 9, 2017
Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD Release: The Sea of Trees

Digital Release Date: Nov. 1, 2016, Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Nov. 1, 2016
Price: DVD $19.98, Blu-ray $24.98
Studio: Linosgate

Matthew McConaughey (Dallas Buyers Club) and Naomi Watts (St. Vincent) star in the drama The Sea of Trees, directed by Gus Van Sant (My Own Private Idaho).

Matthew McConaughey in The Sea of Trees

In this of love and redemption, Arthur (McConaughey), an American professor, travels to Japan in the midst of a personal crisis. As he wanders through a mysterious forest with a dark past, he meets an enigmatic stranger (Ken Watanabe, Inception) who is lost and injured. The two embark on a spiritual, life-changing journey of friendship and survival that reconnects Arthur with his love for his wife (Watts).

Nominated for the Palme D’or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival and theatrically released by A24 in 2016, The Sea of Trees was loathed by the critics upon its limited release earlier this year. It garnered a miserable 10% rating at aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 40 published reviews.

Well, it certainly delivers star power, nonetheless…

The DVD and Blu-ray contain “The Sea of Trees: A Story of Beauty and Tragedy” featurette

Buy or Rent The Sea of Trees

DVD | Blu-ray| Instant Video

November 10, 2016
Blu-ray, DVD Release: Mulholland Dr.
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Oct. 27, 2015
Price: DVD $29.95, Blu-ray $39.95
Studio: Criterion

The deliciously Lynchian 2001 drama Mulholland Dr. is David Lynch’s (Eraserhead, Blue Velvet, Dune) seductive and scary vision of Los Angeles’s dream factory.

Laura Harring and Naomi Watts take a trip down Mulholland Dr.

Blonde Betty Elms (Naomi Watts, St. Vincent) has only just arrived in Hollywood to become a movie star when she meets an enigmatic brunette with amnesia (Laura Harring). Meanwhile, as the two set off to solve the second woman’s identity, filmmaker Adam Kesher (Justin Theroux, Wanderlust) runs into ominous trouble while casting his latest project.

Lynch’s effort—originally slated to be television series—is one of the true masterpieces of the new millennium, a tale of love, jealousy, and revenge like no other.

Criterion’s Blu-ray and DVD editions of the movie include the following:
- New, restored 4K digital transfer, supervised by director David Lynch and director of photography Peter Deming, with 5.1 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray
  • New interviews with Lynch, Deming, actors Naomi Watts and Laura Harring, composer Angelo Badalamenti, and casting director Johanna Ray
  • Interviews with Lynch and cast members, along with other footage from the film’s set
  • Trailer
  • A booklet featuring an interview with Lynch from filmmaker and writer Chris Rodley’s 2005 edition of the book Lynch on Lynch
  • More!
Buy or Rent Mulholland Dr.

DVD | Blu-ray
July 17, 2015
Blu-ray, DVD, Digital HD Release: While We’re Young
Digital Release Date: June 30, 2015, Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 30, 2015
Price: DVD $19.98, Blu-ray $24.99
Studio: Lionsgate

Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts stress out in While We’re Young.

Ben Stiller (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty), Naomi Watts (St. Vincent), Adam Driver (This Is Where I Leave You) and Amanda Seyfried (Lovelace) star in the comedy While We’re Young.

After Brooklyn-based Josh (Stiller) and his wife Cornelia (Watts) meet a free-spirited twenty-something couple (Driver and Seyfried), they adopt a new lifestyle complete with hip-hop dance classes and mind-expanding parties.

It embodies the weird, upended logic of urban sophisticates: the older ones embrace their iPads and Netflix, the young ones crave vinyl records and vintage VHS tapes. But with each hilarious attempt to act young, Josh and Cornelia start to appreciate the rewards of growing old together.

Written and directed by Noah Baumbach (Francis Ha) and well-liked by the critics, the R-rated film didn’t exactly catch fire at the domestic box office, where it earned $7.4 million this spring.

The Blu-ray and DVD contain the following features:
- Six Behind-the-Scenes Vignettes: “The Cast,” “Working with Filmmaker Noah Baumbach,”
- “Generation Tech,” “Working with Charles Grodin,” “Ayahuasca Ceremony” and “Hip-Hop Class”
Buy or Rent While We’re Young

DVD | Blu-ray
May 27, 2015
DVD Review: St. Vincent

STUDIO: The Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay | DIRECTOR: Theodore Melfi | CAST: Bill Murray, Melissa McCarthy, Naomi Watts, Jaeden Lieberher, Chris O’Dowd, Terrence Howard
RELEASE DATE: 2/17?/15 | PRICE: DVD $29.98, Blu-ray $34.99
BONUSES: Q&A with St. Vincent team, deleted scenes
SPECS: PG-13 | 102 min. | Comedy drama | 1.85:1 widescreen | Dolby Digital 5.1/DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 | English and Spanish subtitles

RATINGS (out of 5 dishes): Movie | Audio | Video | Overall

The high concept idea of “Bill Murray as a babysitter” works for the most part in St. Vincent, a comedy with dramatic elements that showcases Mr. Bill in all of his cantankerous glory.

Bill Murray is St. Vincent

Murray (The Monuments Men) plays the misanthropic title slob, a not-so-happy fellow who lives the life of a near-recluse calling on only his cat and a pregnant Russian hooker (Naomi Watts, Birdman) for friendship. That is. until a single mother (Melissa McCarthy, Tammy) moves next to him and, in desperation, allows Vincent to babysit her son Oliver (Jaeden Liebeher) while she works. Of course, Vincent introduces the kid to his way of life–gambling, booze, women–and teaches him life lessons and how to handle a bully along the way.

Written and director by the debuting Theodore Melfi, the film vaults over its formulaic presence on Murray’s force-of-nature presence. His character is often downright mean and unlikable, but Murray make us care for him because of his lived-in performance that brings an air of gracefulness to the creep, hinting that there’s a secret that makes him tick, which we learn late in the film.

In addition to Murray, the rest of the cast is top-notch. McCarthy tones her act down to make a believable struggling mother, while Watts displays some seldom-seen comedy chops as the tough but vulnerable Soviet streetwalker. For his part, young Jaeden Liebeher is fine as the kid who gets a backbone thanks to his new neighbor.

Bonus features include a handful of excised scenes and, better, a 15-minute featurette about “Bill Murray Day” which took place at last year’s Toronto Film Festival and includes an onstage Q&A with Murray and his collaborators on St. Vincent (which premiered at the fest).

Buy or Rent St. Vincent

DVD | Blu-ray

February 26, 2015
Blu-ray, DVD Release: Birdman

Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: Feb. 17, 2015
Price: Blu-ray/Digital HD $39.95, DVD $29.95
Studio: 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment

The comedy-drama fantasy Birdman is the winner of two Golden Globes Awards and 9 Academy Awards nominations, including Best Picture! So stay tuned…

The critically-acclaimed film tells the story of Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton, The Other Guys) – famous for portraying an iconic superhero – as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

Directed, written and produced by Alejandro González Iñárritu, the film has entranced critics and audiences alike with its technical achievements using a single shot concept and captivating performances from an all-star ensemble cast, which include Zach Galifianakis (Due Date), Edward Norton (The Grand Budapest Hotel), Amy Ryan (Win Win), Emma Stone (The Help) and Naomi Watts (St. Vincent).

Here’s a round-up of the bonus features:

Blu-ray:
-Birdman: All-Access
-A Conversation with Michael Keaton and Alejandro G. Iñárritu
-Gallery: Chivo’s On-Set Photos

DVD:
-Birdman: All-Access
-Gallery: Chivo’s On-Set Photos

Buy or Rent Birdman

DVD Blu-ray

February 9, 2015
Blu-ray, DVD Release: St. Vincent
Digital Release Date: Feb. 6, 2015, Blu-ray, DVD & On Demand Release Date: Feb. 17, 2015
Price: DVD $29.98, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $34.99
Studio: The Weinstein Company/Anchor Bay

Bill Murray (The Monuments Men) gets back to his odd-cap comedy roots in St. Vincent, which earned him a Best Actor Golden Globe nomination.

The movie stars Murray as a retired curmudgeon who with two loves: alcohol and gambling. When single mother Maggie (Melissa McCarthy, Tammy) moves in next door with her 12-year-old son Oliver (Jaeden Lieberher), Maggie’s long work hours force her to leave her son with Murray’s Vincent as babysitter.

Oliver and Vincent form an unlikely friendship. Along with a pregnant stripper called Daka (Naomi Watts, Adore), Vincent takes Oliver to his usual daily haunts, including a race track, a strip club and the local dive bar. Vincent helps Oliver become a man, while Oliver starts to see Vincent as a misunderstood man with a good heart.

St. Vincent also was nominated for a Golden Globe in Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and Naomi Watts was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for her supporting role. The film also was nominated for Best Comedy, Best Actor in a Comedy (Bill Murray), Best Actress in a Comedy (Melissa McCarthy) and Best Young Actor (Jaeden Lieberher) with the Critics Choice Awards.

Special features on the DVD and Blu-ray include:
- deleted scenes
- Q&A with Bill Murray.
January 13, 2015