Oct 6th - 12th Downloads
& DVDs
 

  •  The Tax Collector (2020):

    Writer/director David Ayer, who created the Oscar-winning vehicle “Training Day” for Denzel Washington, has set this story in the same universe, focusing on the high-powered gang members in South Central LA. Some of the same gangs exist in this hard-edged tale in which Shia Labeouf stars as a character named “Creeper.” Creeper and his partner David (Bobby Soto – “Narcos,” “Swat,”), work for high-level gang leaders across the LA region collecting “taxes,” which is actually protection money of various sorts. David is the senior member of the team, he’s a family man, and he does what he does to provide for his wife and children. If people don’t pay up, it’s David’s job to put Creeper on the case so that appropriated punishment is meted out. When an old rival shows up, back in town, it threatens everything David holds dear. Shia Labeouf had his entire chest tattooed for this role, so what you see is the real thing. Rated 18A.

     

  • Save Yourselves (2020):

    Suppose aliens invaded earth, but no one told you. That’s the premise of this lightweight sci-fi film that was a Sundance Film Festival darling, and which was headed for theatres on August, but was stopped by Covid-19. Su and Jack (Sunita Mani, John Reynolds from “Stranger Things”) are a Brooklyn couple who get the opportunity to stay for the weekend at a friend’s cabin in the woods, always a good setting for sci-fi and horror stories. They decide to do it up right – to unplug, and to head out with now laptops, no cell phones, and no tablets. Just a weekend with nothing but themselves. They are an engaging couple, easy to watch, and interesting at many levels. An alien invasion occurs without their knowledge, and while walking in the woods, they encounter some little footstool-sized creatures all fuzzy and puffy. They don’t seem to be terribly dangerous … but numbers are everything. The ending of this film is rather soft – a nice way to say that it’s a cop-out … but it’s worth the time for sci-fi fans. Rated 14A.

  • The Pale Door (2020):

    A great cast is assembled for this horror thriller with a western twist. The Dalton Gang has just robbed a train, and the posse is hot on its heels. The crooks take an odd turn into an old ghost town, and are comfortable that they can hide out here until the heat is off. Things are looking up when it appears that the only business that is open is the local brothel … but those women aren’t looking for love, or for any facsimile thereof – they belong to a coven of witches, and a gang of outlaws is just what they need to further their evil quest to overthrow the factions of light and of right to plunge the world into an endless torrent of unholy wickedness. Zachary Knighton (“Rick” on the current iteration of “Magnum P.I.), Noah Segan (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” and “Knives Out”) and Stan Shaw (“Fried Green Tomatoes”) star. Rated 14A.

  • Enola Holmes (2020):

    Netflix acquired the distribution rights for this whodunnit after it was decided to stream the movie rather than put it in theatres.  It's a Sherlock Holmes story, but unlike any that have come before.  Enola (Millie Bobby Brown who played "Eleven" on ``Stranger Things") is a much younger sister to Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, but she has the detective genetics that it takes to go looking for a mystery to be solved.  None of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books mention a younger sister, but here she is, and when her mother goes missing, Enola sets off to find her.  Helena Bonham Carter plays Mother Holmes, and Henry Cavill is Sherlock.  When it's discovered that mother is missing, and that there are a number of gifts and trinkets that she has inexplicably left behind, big brother Sherlock continues to insist that Enola leave the matter alone, and head off to boarding school.  Not her ... soon she is searching all of London, looking for clues.  A crime-adventure, rated 14A. 


     

    Country-ish (2020)(TV series):

    This Netflix original is a reality series that features country singer and internet star Coffey Anderson and his wife Criscilla.  It walks through their daily lives with the couple, and focuses on their careers - she's a hip-hop artist - their Christian faith, and their desire to provide wholesome entertainment in a world that seems to want things a lot more raunchy.  A former U.S. Marine, and an active participant in the Nashville music scene, Coffey has released nine albums so far, about half of them faith-based and the other half mainstream.  He was a contestant on season 2 of American Idol in 2003 where he made it as far as the Hollywood round.  Rated PG.

     

    Pets United (2020):

    A perfect animated film for youngsters, parents, and grandparents, but only if they watch with the kids. The central characters are all pets of one sort or another, and their common thread is that they are spoiled, they are selfish, and they live a life of luxury, because their owners have all the mechanical denizens of Robo City doing the hard work.  But what happens when the robots run amuck and the humans have to flee?  Time for the skate-boarding pug, the self-aggrandizing Siamese, a pet pig, and a smart fox to grow up and take some responsibility.  Good fun for kids of all ages - meaning, much past 13, they will probably think it's lame, but younger ones will relish it.  Rated G.

New on CRAVE

A Hidden Life (2019)

This dramatic re-enactment of actual events that took place during WWII tells the story of an Austrian farmer named Franz Jagerstatter (August Diehl) who was recruited by the German army during the days prior to the outbreak of the war.  After basic training, he, and the other able-bodied men who had been conscripted, returned to their farms and villages, and to their previous lives.  With the fall of France, Jagerstatter and his peer group were called to active duty, and as their first requirement, had to swear allegiance to Adolf Hitler and to the 3rd Reich.  He refused, despite the fact that the consequences of doing so could be severe.  He fell back on the support of his wife and children, and despite the pleas of people in his village to capitulate, Jagerstatter refused.  They told him he could face prison, and even death.  He refused to swear allegiance, and was whisked away to prison to await trial.  Many of the locations used in the film are the actual places that Jagerstatter lived, raised his family, and ultimately faced incarceration and a trial.  Directed by Terence Malik, rated 14A.

The Witcher (TV Series, 2019):
This Netflix original series is a sword-and-sandal thriller that follows Geralt of Rivera, a solitary monster-killer who roams the earth righting the wrongs created by monstrosities everywhere.  Henry Cavill stars as the title character, based on a novel series.  A second season has already been announced, so you can binge watch this one safely.  Rated 14A. 

 

New on AMAZON PRIME

The Legion (2020):

This Amazon original takes place in the time of the Emperor Nero, who was busy fiddling - actually, if he played anything, it was the Lyre - while Rome began its torturous fall.   Noreno (Lee Partridge) is perfectly cast here, a short holdover from his badly groomed days in 2017's "Viking Siege."  The invasion of Parthia by the Roman Legions has been a total screw-up, and now two full Legions are stranded in the snowy mountains, slowly facing starvation and death by freezing.  There is a larger part of the Roman army that is in Syria, across the mountains and down into the desert, where the facing of the elements is different.  Someone needs to get from the snowy soon-to-be-graves, to the rest of the army so that help and supplies can save the remaining soldiers.  That someone is Noreno, as he is an amazingly fast runner and could cover the distance in the shortest time.  The problem?  Noreno is only half Roman, and his other half hates the city state that has never done him any favours.  Mickey Rourke and Bai Ling also star.  Rated 14A. 


New on DISNEY +

Mulan (2020):
T21 years after the animated version of this classic story was in theatres as an animated, full-length feature, it's now a live-action film that was originally headed for theatres this summer, but which is now going to be streamed by Disney + for an extra fee - probably in the $30.00 realm, in addition to the five or six dollars that is your monthly Disney + fee.  33 year-old Liu Yifie plays the title character here, a young woman who steps in for her ailing father when the Emperor decrees that one man per household must serve his country in a war against northern invaders.  Disguised as a man, Mulan is tested every step of the way, as no one knows her true identity.  The story is based on a Chinese folklore tale and also stars Jet Li and Rosalind Chao.  Rated 14A.