This Week in DVD and Instant Watching

Ride Along: Ice Cube's buddy comedy (with Kevin Hart) was DISSED by the MTV Movie Awards, according to Cube. How dare they give a meaningless award in a manufactured-for-TV pseudoevent to an actor who recently died young? What are they trying to do, honor his memory in some misguided attempt to touch people's hearts? I mean, come on, MTV--CUBE!

The Nut Job: I was saying the other day that it seems like it's pretty hard to make a really bad all-ages animated feature these days. This one might test that theory.

Black Nativity: Nice job releasing this just in time for, what, 7 months till Christmas! I mean, do they--oh, wait. Easter is coming up, huh? Carry on!

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty: The disappointing box office for this one probably killed any chance of Mike Myers getting his dream project, a big-screen reboot of "The Danny Kaye Show," off the ground.

The Invisible Woman: Ralph Fiennes as a director of a literary property is an interesting concept, but I can't help thinking this is one of these deals where they just rushed this out to retain their rights to make a Fantastic Four movie.

Stan Lee's Mighty 7: Beginnings: Hey, speaking of Stan, I totally missed his cameo in The Invisible Woman.

Philomena: A journalist helps a woman in her quest to find the boy she gave up decades ago. This could be a Hallmark movie, couldn't it? But it's directed by Stephen Frears, it stars Dame Judi Dench, and it received considerable critical praise and award recognition. So it's got that over a Hallmark movie. But does it have Catherine Bell? That would be a big N-O.

Date and Switch: I don't know anything about this movie, but I am including it because I think the title is kind of funny and I'm stunned a romantic comedy hasn't used it before.

Beverly Hillbillies Season 4 and Petticoat Junction Season 3: These two CBS releases get wide release after being Wal-Mart exclusive since the fall. Yep, once again, that snooty, elitist Wal-Mart crowd gets to lord it over the rest of us. Well, now the MASSES can buy your highfalutin sitcoms, Wal-Mart! What do you think about that?

Warner Archive brings us a great quartet of oldies this week. George Raft and Bill Bendix in Race Street, The Mickster and Eddie Bracken in the odd duck A Slight Case of Larceny, Sky Full of Moon, and the intriguing Wildcat Bus with Fay Wray. "Sky Full of Moon" has an odd cover, with a  dude's butt staring right at us and in front of that big moon. "Wildcat Bus" just sounds all kinds of awesome. Check out this description from the WA page:

Fay Wray, best known for struggling in the clutches of King Kong, confronts rivals who use saboteur tactics to put the squeeze on the Federated Bus Lines she manages in Wildcat Bus. Wray is not the only woman in a position of power in this unusual B-movie: Behind the criminal organization that causes the breakdowns and accidents plaguing Federated’s Los Angeles San Francisco route is tough. vinegary “Ma” Talbot (character actress Leona Roberts).

Whoa! I can't wait to see this if only for the vinegary "Ma" Talbot!

And in streaming...

Hulu didn't do much of interest this week, though it didn't crash when I watched "Community" and "Modern Family," so that's a big plus. I'm beginning to think that story about more CBS shows appearing on Hulu was an elaborate hoax.

Hey, late-breaking news! Hulu just added the entire run of Penn & Teller's Bullsh*t! Well, that's something! I wonder if these are edited. Hmm...

Warner Archive Instant added a little tribute to The Mickster, packaging some previously available movies together into a little showcase Mickey Rooney line. More importantly, it added about a dozen and a half new movies, including several Bowery Boys flicks from the Volume 1 DVD collection. Sadly, the pro wrestling flick "No Holds Barred" (not the Hulk/Zeus one) isn't one of them, but who am I to complain when 3 Boys pictures are added?

Also new is the Boys--Wheeler and Woolsey, that is--in Cracked Nuts. WIN! Nicely timed is the arrival of Big Leaguer, with Eddie G as a major league skipper. Any baseball fan should check it out. WIN! There are also a couple of Gildersleeve pics, Congo Maisie, and for those of you who like your A pictures, Flight Command with Robert Taylor. And how about Hollywood Party (1934), with Jimmy Durante, Lupe Velez, and a host of awesome cameos including the 3 Stooges and Laurel and Hardy? This is actually a pretty darn good week for WAI.

Netflix premiered Mark Burnett's The Bible miniseries, a cool seasonal addition. By the way, I added the Mark Burnett part; fortunately, he wasn't arrogant to affix his name to it. Luc Besson's comedy The Family (De Niro, Pfeiffer) is here as well.

G.I. Joe: The One with The Rock (I may have the subtitle wrong) debuted this week. I am not on board this franchise yet, but I'd pay money to see it if Tight Ship were involved. This arrives as part of the Epix deal Netflix has, an agreement which should make fans of recent theatricals very happy because it seems to provide most of those big movies Netflix touts in its advertising. However, it also brings some interesting original Epix specials and documentaries. Case in point: Milius, a look at the macho screenwriter ("Apocalypse Now") and director ("Red Dawn").

Hey, I had no idea Werner Herzog made a documentary about texting while driving, but here comes From One Second to the Next. There is a bunch more Cartoon Network stuff, and also some CNN series like Crimes of the Century and Morgan Spurlock's Inside Man. But for those of you into the classics, there's the original Leprechaun--yep, the one with Jennifer Aniston.

This Week in DVD and Instant Watching

The Big Valley Season 2: Ahem.

The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug: Sometimes I still wake up in the middle of the night having dreamed I was still in the theater watching yet another false finish in the third "Lord of the Rings" movie.

Justin Beiber's Believe: Even with his supposed rabid following, the punk only gets a 1.6 average rating on IMDB for this concert film. Yeah, that's hardly scientific, but it's funny, and it makes him look bad, so let's roll with it.

August: Osage County: What a treat it is to see talented actresses like Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts going toe to toe in an intense family comedy/drama. I mean, for those who are into that kind of thing. Me,  I think I'll skip to the more lowbrow...

Grudge Match: Yeah, this is more my style. Sly  Stallone and Bobby DeNiro play off their histories to play two aging (OK, old) fighters who duke it out one more time because--because--because--well, I'm sure there's a good reason in there somewhere, and it probably involves money. You know how sometimes you know in your head a movie is terrible, but somewhere maybe in your left elbow you think it could be worth it? Kind of the deal here.

Paranormal Activity The Marked Ones: You know a franchise is way out of hand when it just dumps the numerals.

Night of the Hunter (Criterion): I have a pretty good DVD of this already, but Criterion usually improves on just about anything.

The 400 Blows (Criterion): Hey, I've never seen this, and I admit, given the choice, I'd watch "Night of the Hunter again (ducks). But then, I'm the guy who just admitted who might watch Grudge Match."

Family Matters Season 4: I have to admit  I kind of want to see this fourth-season episode (description from Wikipedia): Carl and Urkel get into a feud, and decide the only way to settle their grievances is to compete on American Gladiators,

Mayberry RFD Season 1: What could I say about this that hasn't been said in 3 years' worth of great work by the unofficial Mayor of Mayberry (ooh, I hope he realizes that's meant as a compliment)?

The Bobby Darin Show: This might have been a really cool release, but 13 episodes, 420 minutes? Did I mention it was an hourlong presentation when it aired in 1973? It looks like it's heavily edited, which is understandable for a variety show, but the price is pretty high for 13 shows that are so heavily trimmed.

In streaming, Hulu Plus added an original series called Deadbeats, a sitcom starring Tyler "I'm not Jack Black" Labine as a guy who can interact with dead spirits and help them fulfill their unfinished business. The previews make this seem surprisingly good. I will give this one a shot.

Also, while wandering around the vast Hulu catalog, I discovered that they added another season of Route 66. Hey, that's great! But I never would have known if I hadn't been browsing the "channel" where it's located and then clicked the show to look. There ought to be a little "NEW EPISODES" tag for me on a show to which I "subscribe."

Warner Archive Instant is due for a big update probably right after I post this, but it was quiet this week. No word on the Botchlist--uh, Watchlist feature, either.

Acorn Media added 4 more seasons of family show Wild at Heart, plus new seasons--excuse me, series--of Time Team, Jack Irish, Line of Duty, The Brief, and Land Girls. Much of this sounds great, but I wish Acorn could add more older programmes. It seems that in its new adds lately, it is focusing on material from this century. I don't know, maybe there isn't a lot more TO add from the 1970s and 1980s? Acorn did add season 1 of Lovejoy with Ian MacShane from 1986. It would be nice to seem more old school added.

Am I forgetting someone? Oh, yes, Netflix!

Netflix brings Short Poppies, a Kiwi comedy  from Rhys Darby, and while I'm not a fan, it's a cool get for those who are.

A few months ago I was raving about the box cover for Rapturepalooza with Anna Kendrick. Now I can see it for "free!" The Last Days of Mars with Live Schrieber might be an interesting sci-fi flick. There are also a few interesting documentaries old (Sherman's March) and new (When Jews Were Funny  and Let the Fire Burn about the 1985 MOVE incident in Philadelphia).

Cut that cord! Cut that cord!

I am still crunching the numbers, working my sources, and scouring the underground as I prepare this week's video column, so in the meantime let me present another installment of Cut the Cord Theatre. I could go off on a rant and gripe about this item, but sometimes no additional commentary need be made.  So, courtesy of Deadline, I present this tidbit, which in this form alone is enough to indicate that this particular cable channel need not be anywhere on my lineup:

Oxygen Media unveiled seven new original series for its 2014 slate today under new president Francis Berwick and said it is planning a rebrand for later this year “targeting modern, young women.” Docu-series on the roster range in subjects from finding the next female hip-hop star (executive produced by rapper T.I.) to comediennes, and competition series involving street artists and nail designers.

Who was Oxygen targeting before? Old-fashioned young women?

Also, while roaming the dial the other night, I discovered that Bravo is actually airing a half-hour program that shows people watching TV. I wish I were kidding. We can do better, America! Well, maybe Bravo can't, but the rest of us can!

Oxygen’s new shows include “Fix My Choir” and “Street Art Throwdown”
Oxygen is also adding “Sisterhood of Hip Hop” and “Nail’d It” to its lineup.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle/2#0ftPWEFV0Cd1Jw1W.99

Oxygen’s new shows include “Fix My Choir” and “Street Art Throwdown”
Oxygen is also adding “Sisterhood of Hip Hop” and “Nail’d It” to its lineup.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle/2#9GFpd5A79bRARkBu.99

Oxygen’s new shows include “Fix My Choir” and “Street Art Throwdown”
Oxygen is also adding “Sisterhood of Hip Hop” and “Nail’d It” to its lineup.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle/2#9GFpd5A79bRARkBu.99

Oxygen’s new shows include “Fix My Choir” and “Street Art Throwdown”
Oxygen is also adding “Sisterhood of Hip Hop” and “Nail’d It” to its lineup.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle/2#9GFpd5A79bRARkBu.99

Oxygen’s new shows include “Fix My Choir” and “Street Art Throwdown”
Oxygen is also adding “Sisterhood of Hip Hop” and “Nail’d It” to its lineup.
Read more at http://www.hitfix.com/tv-tattle/2#9GFpd5A79bRARkBu.99

New at Classic Flix: My epic review of Big Valley Season 2

I wrote a feature-length review of Timeless' DVD set of Season 2 of "The Big Valley"--the first video release of the show since 2007--and it was posted day and date--yesterday--at ClassicFlix. A little tease is below, but  read the whole thing here:

The Big Valley - Season 2
By Rick Brooks

It's not quite as dramatic as the proverbial cavalry thundering forward on horseback to save a besieged wagon train, but Timeless Media Group pulls off an impressive rescue by freeing The Big Valley from the barren, unforgiving desert of DVD limbo. The complete Season 2 set arrives 7 years after Fox ceased production after 1 ½ seasons. That's right, 1 ½. Fox released Season 1 in a single collection before splitting Season 2 but leaving fans hanging after the first volume.

Now all 30 episodes of Season 2 (1966-1967) are available on 5 discs. I doubt that I have to sell existing fans on this, though they may be concerned that 6 hour-long episodes are packed on each individual...

This Week in DVD and Instant Watching Part 2 (the streaming)

Hulu did nothing of note this week except annoy the hell out of me with a few lame April Fool's Day jokes. I logged on Tuesday morning and saw in the spotlighted shows section a picture of Terry Crews in "The Field," a spinoff from the producers of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine." I didn't expect a real full-length series, but I thought maybe they had some bonus shorts or something. No, it was just a joke. Ha ha. At least Netflix put some actual content up and didn't promote it on the main page--at least not that I saw. I guess I would have known something was up had Hulu either gone all the way and made all the spotlighted shows goofs, or had I seen the Hannibal cooking spinoff, but I either ignored or didn't see the Hannibal thing.

I emailed Warner Archive Instant about the utter uselessness of its Watchlist feature given my inability to delete titles from it, its apparent 100-title max, and the continued presence of expired titles (and the fact that when I try to delete them, it crashes the channel). I got a few very nice responses telling me the issues were both known and were being worked on. Hey, I'm just glad to know it's not just me. Hopefully it'll be resolved soon.

In the meantime, I talked a lot about the new update on Sunday. This week, they added a few stray movies and another set of James Fitzpatrick TravelTalks. Plus a new Showcase of existing titles being packaged together was created--adaptations of Broadway plays. I'm thinking there may be a full update this weekend.

I'll tell you who has done something this week: Netflix, which added a bunch of Cartoon Network programming at the end of March. A few weeks ago I said I wanted to give the Green Lantern animated series another try. Well, now I can! I think some of the material was already available, but it looks like a lot of it is new. It's worth investigating if you're into that stuff.

Jim Rash's Sundance Channel series The Writers' Room is now streaming. Also, just in time for the last season, here comes Mad Men season 6.

The April 1 catalog drop includes a bunch of repeats like Barton Fink and Chinatown, but also some more of those Fox classics that trickle in each month. Some of the more interesting older movies that jump out include Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, There's No Business Like Show Business, Man Hunt, The Odd Couple, Robinson Crusoe on Mars, Rocky I through V, The Graduate, the 1935 Les Miserables, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Bells of St. Mary's, and Stuart Saves His Family.

OK, that last one really doesn't belong in that group, but it IS available.

Some new and returning genre fare: Cotton Comes to Harlem, The Terminator, The Running Man, all 4 Death Wish movies (there were only 4, right?), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Dragonslayer (I had the comic adaptation, but I don't remember seeing the entire movie).

Some of the more recent notable titles include Amistad, No Holds Barred (hey, give me a break), the full run of House (that wasn't already there?), Going Ape (I keep telling myself I'm gonna sit down and watch it, and it keeps expiring before I do), Disney Jr, series The Hive, Titanic, The Muppets Take Manhattan (wouldn't it be great to see "The Muppet Show" on Netflix? Answer: YES), Braveheart, and Mean Girls.

If that ain't enough, how about a Crackle update? In addition to the monthly batch of Seinfeld (and unfortunately several have been in recent months' batches), there is...well, it's hard to tell what's new on Crackle, but I think Lost in Translation and Paul Blart: Mall Cop are. And the channel is touting its "first ever original feature," Extraction, a martial arts B-movie, but that's apparently been up for a while. Oddly, it's in the "featured TV category. Crackle has some kinks to work out, folks!

This Week in DVD and Instant Watching: Part 1 (The Discs)

Last week's marathon 3-parter left me a bit drained, but the presence of blockbusters like 47 Ronin energizes me! Let's do this, folks!

47 Ronin: Ah, no, I can't start with it. Save it for later.

Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues: Hopefully this under-the-radar sleeper gets a little promotion and can find an audience on home video.

The Bag Man: How bad can a crime flick be when it has John Cusack and Bobby De Niro? Has to be worth a shot, right?

The Little Rascals Save the Day: I had no idea they were doing a new Little Rascals movie. Probably a good thing. I like this line from an Amazon customer review:

Great for your kids to get off the computer or tablet to sit and watch a nice family movie with you.

"Hey, kids, I'm tired of you sitting around all day communicating with people on that thing! Come over here and stare at the television with me!"

The Pirate Fairy: I saw the title and smirked. Then I saw Christina Hendricks in the cast list, and I got a certain mental image and figured, "Well, it wouldn't hurt to see what it's about!" Then I saw it was a cartoon and was disappointed. Then I saw it was a Disney Fairies movie and realized, hey, my daughter might like it. What a roller coaster of emotion. If only the film itself can be so stimulating...

47 Ronin: OK, everyone knows this is a colossal bomb. I don't feel like dumping on Keanu Reeves, though. Is it his fault someone thought it would be a good idea to sink hundreds of millions on this? Keanu seems to mind his own business, and he's not hurting me any, so I am not gonna rip him. Do I want to see "47 Ronin"? Hell, no.

T.J. Hooker Seasons 1 and 2: You mean, Mill Creek is re-releasing the first two seasons in one package with a suggested retail price of 15 bucks? Is this some kind of cruel April Fool's joke? No, it's the truth!

Ultimate Warrior: WWE buried the guy in a previous documentary release titled "The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior." Now he's back in the fold long enough to accept a Hall of Fame induction and maybe make the company a few bucks, so here's a newer, presumably more "balanced" version of the story. That's showbiz!

Warner Archive brings us:

The Class: At first I thought this was the old Fox show Class of '96, which featured Kari Wuhrer. Remember that series? I do. I really liked Kari Wuhrer.

This is a short-lived sitcom from "Friends" co-producer David Crane, featuring a now-more-interesting-than-it-appeared-then cast of names like Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), and Lizzy Caplan (Masters of Sex). Here I'd like to remind fans of series like 77 Sunset Strip that the Archive is working on many different series, many of which have clearance or elements issues that are delaying their release, so don't put your foot through your computer just because they are issuing a failed 8-year-old show instead of one of those classics.

The Last Mrs. Cheyney: This is the Norma Shearer version of--wait, this movie just came out a few weeks ago, and it had Joan Crawford and William Powell. You mean to tell me...TWO movies with the same name? What manner of sorcery is this?

Her Cardboard Lover: Shearer's last role was this 1942 George Cukor feature, a romantic comedy way ahead of its time. In it, Shearer strikes up a bizarre romance with a cardboard cutout of Robert Taylor her daughter buys at Hot Topic.

Streaming news comes tomorrow!