'The Atoning' DVD: How The Others Half Lives

The Gravitas Ventures September 5, 2017 DVD and Blu-ray releases of the 2017 horror film "The Atoning" is notable for its twist on the neo-horror plot of a suburban family in a haunted house. This one pays homage to the 2001 Nicole Kidman thriller "The Others" in having the nuclear clan be the ghosts.

The seemingly major spoiler above does not detract from the impact of this film with a highly symbolic title; much of the film centers around how married couple Ray and Vera and their young son Sam adjust to their new normal. Further, Sam tries very hard to be a friendly ghost.

The following YouTube clip of a trailer fort this winner of three top festival awards provides a wonderfully accurate teaser of the creepiness and building terror in the film.

Early scary scenes involve the current legal owners of the home making the fright-inducing appearances; this includes the daughter of this family terrorizing Sam.

The underlying related plots center around determining the manner in which Ray and his family find themselves in their current circumstances and what must occur to allow them to fully break their ties with the land of the living.

As often is the case, Mom is the center of support, Vera initially tries to keep Sam blissfully ignorant about why he cannot go outside; she then determines who is responsible for the familycide and once again finds herself in the role of protector.

The final battle royale does a great job tying in every aspect of "Atoning." The creep factor escalates at a good pace, things turn out to not be as they seem, and learning about the circumstances of the death of the family sets the stage for moving on regardless of whether that transition is desired.

Anyone with questions or comments is encouraged to email me; you also can connect on Twitter via @tvdvdguy.

'Ray Donovan' Complete Series (Including Movie) DVD: Not Everybody Loves the Fixer

CBS Home Entertainment augments its massive October 4, 2022  (reviewed) Blocktober steelbook, Blu-ray, and DVD complete series releases of neo-modern classics with an October  25, 2022 DVD CS release of "Ray Donovan" (2013-20). This 29-disc set of this 82-episode MUST-SEE Showtime offering includes an actual seven seasons and a (reviewed) movie. 

This obvious clone of "The Sopranos" arguably surpasses the original in that the "made" men and their families are more realistically portrayed than in the original to which "Donovan" pays the highest form of flattery. This begins with "actor" Liev Schreiber seemingly being born to play the titular "fixer" compared to "TV star" James Gandolfini having an excellent take on the psyche of a mob boss.

The perfectly executed "Donovan" pilot strikes the ideal balance between exposition and getting the action started. This "no dull moment" standard is maintained throughout this series that always surpasses the "one more" test. 

Our story begins with one of the rich-and-infamous Hollywood and environs clients of the agency for which Ray works waking up next to the corpse of his latest one-night stand. Meanwhile back at the ranch, Bawstan native Ray is waking up with high-school sweetheart wife Abby (a.k.a. Carmela) in their home with mid-teens daughter Bridget (a.k.a. Willow) and tween son Connor (a.k.a. AJ). 

This just being another day at the office results in Ray calling in his team to create a new reality that solves the problems of both the playah and the other client whose personal life clashes with his highly lucrative persona. One memorable scene shows the heavy price of fame. 

The bigger picture here is the glimpse into how "fixers" directly and indirectly manipulate the general populace. A relatable example is the many times that others try to gaslight us into not believing something that we know is untrue. A dramatic personal childhood instance is my aunt trying to convince me that I did not overhear her telling my mother that my aunt and my uncle successfully covering up the murder of a worker by the manager at an developing-nation factory that that couple owned. I suppose that I also did not witness my aunt get furious at my mother after I mentioned the incident. 

The series (and movie) game fully is afoot on estranged father Mickey (Jon Voight) coming west for a family reunion after killing a priest almost immediately on being granted a parole after serving 20 years for a murder that he insists that he did not commit. The mutual animosity between Mickey and Ray that prompts no-holds-barred efforts to cause the downfall of the other introduces an awesome Shakespearean element to the series.

The "and the rest" include the highly damaged full siblings of Ray and his previously unknown half brother, who is the result of the jungle fever of Mickey. One of the best S1 scenes has dopey innocent Conor unable to comprehend how Uncle Daryll (Pooch  Hall) can be black. 

The aforementioned movie terrifically brings us back to the youth of Donovan on the mean streets of Bawstan. These adventures show us how the members of our stereotypical working-class Irish Catholic family get to be the people whom they are two decades later. It is believed that Boston-born comedian Denis Leary is who describes this as members of such families having the hands of each other either in their pockets or around their throats.

S1 further introduces the deliciously dark twin themes that run throughout "Donovan." The first element is the critical need for celebrities and other power-brokers to keep up appearances requires taking the desperate measure of hiring Team Donovan to put right what once went wrong when indulging in their sins blows up in their face. 

The other side of this coin is that doing so giving Ray leverage that he is not afraid to use when facing his own desperate need. This can range from wanting to ensure that his kids get accepted at an elite school to showing that he will not hesitate to administer a beatdown to preserve the image of a client.

All of this S1 trauma-and-drama ends in a manner that Team "Donovan" maintains throughout the run of the series. Everything builds to a climax that serves equally well as season or a series finale. In the case of the first season, this often involves killing someone who remains an obstacle. The S1 epilogue goes further by putting a dark twist on the classic final scene of "The Sopranos." 

The epic two hours of special features include the typical insightful wit-and-wisdom of the cast-and-crew. This includes an especially notable "Deconstructing" presentation.

'The Bat' BD: The Ghoul and Miss Moorehead

The Film Detective shows old-school Halloween spirit by releasing "The Bat" on Blu-ray on October 25, 2022. The pristine restoration of this black-and-white film really enhances the thrills and chills of this whodunit with numerous eerie twists. This IS your grandfather's thriller! 

It is clear from the opening voice-over by star/former Mercury Player Agnes "Endora" Moorehead that "Bat" makes excellent use of the elite pompous persona of Moorehead. The only thing missing is a contemptuous reference to "Derwood." 

Once the game gets fully afoot, we see the descent into terrified madness that makes the appearance of Moorehead in the 1961 episode of "The Twilight Zone" "The Invaders." The "unearthly" threats in that one are tiny brothers from another planet to whom Moorehead tries to give a clean sweep. 

"Bat" also highlights the wonderfully understated sinister persona that kept co-star Vincent Price employed for decades. No one does menacing better than him. 

Our story commences with Agatha Christie caliber mystery writer Cornelia van Gorder (Moorehead) and her faithful companion/secretary Lizzie Allen spending the summer in a large rented house with a history. Quasi ala the under-rated '60scom "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," the nephew (Mark Fleming) of the house enters the lease over the objection of his (living) owner John Fleming. John is a bank executive spending time in a cabin in the woods with Dr. Malcolm Wells (Price). Wells aptly frequently finds himself in the middle in the film. 

The two paths that ultimately merge in "Bat" are that the titular killer with a reported supernatural element is terrorizing the community, and $1,000,000 in assets have been robbed from the bank. Of course, the nice young junior executive with the loving and loyal girl is the prime suspect regarding the latter. The many hats of van Gorder regarding this including trying to be the Jessica Fletcher to this kind-and-gentle "innocent." 

A series of unfortunate circumstance giving Wells the opportunity to show the elder Fleming that he is not the boss of him fully sets the game afoot and brings the wolf to the door. van Gorder and Allen essentially are ladies in a cage when the very creepy Bat invades their home and essentially threatens their lives with a switchblade knife. No pun is intended in stating that this is one of the best executed scenes in this film that retains all of the live-stage vibe of the Mary Roberts Rinehart play on which it is based. 

The awesome twists with the exceptional payoff regarding the theme of "the butler did it" further makes "Bat" worthy of joining the cult-classic library of Film Detective titles. The "good to the last drop" aspect is the final scene with an element of "gotcha" regarding exposition that seems to combine a soliloquy and the breaking of the fourth wall but turns out not to be either. This proves that Moorehead is bewitching no matter which character she portrays. 

Detective additionally continues its tradition of excellence regarding special feature. As usual, a documentary featurette by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures is the highlight. This one on "Bat" writer-director Crane Wilbur tells the tale of his fascinating career along with the history of every stage and film version of our feature presentation. We also get a written essay on the work of Rinehart  and audio versions of Vincent Price radio broadcasts.

'Melrose Place' CS DVD: 'Reality Bites': The Series

 

This shamefully belated post on the CBS Home Entertainment October 4, 2022 54-disc CS DVD release of the seven-season "Melrose Place" (1992-99) wraps up coverage of the CBSHE Blocktober releases of neo-modern classics that day. 

These sets include the MUST SEE  (reviewed) SB, BD, and DVD releases of "Picard" S3 and the (reviewed) BD and DVD combined releases of "Dexter" OS and the true-to-form "New Blood." CBSHE also released a (reviewed) CS DVD set of the Jordan Peele recent true-to-form reboot of "The Twilight Zone." 

CBSHE keeps the hits coming with the October 25, 2022 CS DVD release of the Showtime series "Ray Donovan," which includes the (reviewed) wrap-up movie. A post on that epic release hopefully will be timely.

Our discussion of "Melrose" commences with noting the compatible time-and-place for marathon (rather than binge) viewings of television series. The silver-living regarding the imminent twindemic winter is that this series is tailor-made for Sunday afternoons and massive climate-change fueled storms ala the escapism of fellow Aaron Spelling classic "The Love Boat" on frigid Saturday nights throughout the '80s. A personal winter of comfortable isolation will include copious "Melrose" sessions complete with enjoying my stash of '90s-era Clearly Canadian fruit-flavored sparkling water. 

"Melrrose" is pure Spelling. This spin-off of "Beverly Hills 90210," which also has a fabulous CBSHE CS DVD release, tells the tales of  beautiful people in a beautiful setting leading exciting lives in which the beat-down of a lifetime does not require more than a night in the hospital. Further, a "new romance" almost as quickly mends a broken heart.

The initial central concept of "Melrose" is that a group of early-to-late 20-somethings in the titular Los Angeles apartment complex intertwine their lives to varying degrees while learning to "adult." This evokes strong thoughts of the similarly themed cult-classic film "Reality Bites," which revolves around the quarter-life crises of its '90s brat pack stars. 

An aspect of this is the desire of many recent college graduates to extend that lifestyle. They want to hang out with a close group of friends and drink several times a week. 

"Melrose" creator Darren Star of "Sex and the City" explains in one of the plethora of insightful and entertaining special features that "Melrose" is based on reality. Star notes that he spent his 20s living in an apartment complex in which everyone was friends.

A brief detour into Blogland supports the Star-stated real-life basis for "Melrose." Your not-so-humble reviewer was a recent college graduate living in what was unPC known as the "student ghetto" behind American University in Washington, DC. This was two blocks of two-story four-unit apartment buildings largely inhabited by graduate students. 

"Melrose" experiences included drama ensuing when the guy downstairs moved in on my first roommate moving out. Additionally, the neighbor across the hall claiming to be locked out only had a comically aggressive come-on fail due to my fear of my roommate coming home. My lesson there was that even wearing long t-shirts while wearing tights for runs was not much of a deterrent. 

Unlike "Melrose," your not-so-humble reviewer and the other males in the buildings did not walk around shirtless even during the hot-and-humid DC summers. Further, we did not share our trauma-and-drama with our neighbors. Also, none of our triumphs prompted impromptu celebrations with the gang. 

Ala "90210," "Melrose" succeeds because it is populated with relatable stock characters that largely have counterparts a few zip codes over. This begins with "older brother" type loner/family-friendly biker Jake (Grant Show). Ala Dylan (Luke Perry) of "90210," Jake tries to emulate the cool of James Dean. 

We also get initially sweet-and-perky Wisconsin native Allison (Courtney Thorne-Smith), who soon learns that living in the big city requires a thicker skin and a harder heart. Her travails commence with having to find a roommate and get the money to either fix her clunker of a car or find a "new" one in her price range. Her S1 "adulting" involves advancing her career in a sometimes toxic work environment, knowingly being "the other woman," and contending with an "its complicated" relationship with new male roommate Billy. 

Speaking of Billy, this aspiring novelist is the least likable member of the group. This may be due to not-so-talented Andrew Shue being an 11th-hour replacement when the originally cast Stephen Fanning apparently has a Tim Hortons doughnuts binge while in his Canadian hometown a few days before shooting commences. 

The curly haired boy-next-door and uneven Valley Boy accent of soccer stud Shue make him a goofy Willie Aames sidekick type. However, Billy is an angsty easy frustrated guy who only is charming when he is not trying to score at work or in the bedroom. 

Billy also has one of the most absurd storylines of S1, which is notable for amping up the campy drama for which Spelling is known. Our go-getter uses his "charm" and a completely fabricated resume to land a job on a magazine. This quickly leads to an "outing" and amusingly clumsy "Mrs. Robinson" style sexual harassment only to have things work out within two episodes. 

Speaking of Alison and Billy, Spelling calls on his "fixer" Heather Locklear (apparently Ted McGinley was unavailable) to spice up "Melrose" roughly halfway through the first season. Locklear plays advertising executive Amanda, who makes everyday like survival for underling Allison. Much of this relates to Billy being a lover and Allison being a rival. Locklear also makes a classic S1 cliffhanger move that brings all this much closer to home. 

The "and the rest" include openly gay social worker Matt, who gets shorted both in terms of screen time and storylines in S1. He mostly is on the sidelines except for being BFFs with "hag" aerobics instructor/arguably token black character Rhonda. Rhonda also was entitled to a more prominent S1 role. 

We also get tough New Yorker/recent divorcee Jo, who has overnight success as a photographer. Of course, she connects with the even more damaged Jake. 

Young married couple Michael and Jane round out the S1 gang. Medical intern Michael playing doctor fully ends the waning honeymoon period for this husband and wife around the time of their second anniversary. The realistic aspects of this relationship include the challenge of marrying young, the stress associated with trying to maintain a marriage while contending with the demands of a medical internship, and Jane giving up her old life to stand by her man.

The evolution of all this from a fairly light look at transitioning from college to the rest of your life commences with the issues of the week that dominate S1. We get gay bashing, an inner-city attack that leads to claims of racism, abortion, and other "ripped-from-the-headlines" topics. 

The bottom line this time is that "Melrose" is an entertaining 90s-era time capsule in which The Gap is the hot store and white t-shirts with sweater vests are everywhere. Those of us who lived in that era will feel wonderful nostalgia, and "kids" will get a better sense of the lives of their 'rents while they were figuring out what they wanted to do and the lifestyle that they desired when they grew up. 

'Picard' S2: SB, BD, DVD: Best 'Trek' Ever

The CBSHE separate October 4, 2022 steelbook Blu-ray, Blu-ray, and DVD releases of the recently concluded second season of the Paramount Plus series "Picard" is an integral part of the Blocktober sets that hit real and virtual shelves on that date.

This embarrassment of neo-modern classics riches include the (reviewed) DVD and BD CS sets of "Dexter" OS and "New Blood" and the (reviewed) CS DVD set of the Jordan Peele "Twilight Zone" reboot. The massive CS DVD set of "Melrose Place" is scheduled for a post in the not-too-distant future. 

One spoiler regarding "Picard" S2 is that those of us who emulate "Trek" by having our Alexa devices respond to the word "computer" must frequently contend with these hockey pucks reacting to commands by Team Picard. 

The pure blessing of the following S2 trailer is that it highlights the cinema-quality production values and acting that make the BD set must-own. The blessing and the curse regarding showing a portion of the elements that may cause Trekkers to actually pee their Starfleet uniforms is that these clips are SPOILER-LADEN.

My post for "Picard" S1 provides a good primer on the series. It offers a sense of how the titular hero of the Federation gets back into action and the "coretet" that helps him put right what once went wrong. 

The primary vibe that warrants declaring "Picard" S2 the best "Trek" ever is that it successfully combines the best of all worlds from that nearly 70 years (and still going strong) franchise. A vague memory is that an article from the era of "Star Trek: The Next Generation, which introduces Trekkies and Trekkers to our titular living legend, lists the Top 10 fan favorite elements from that 'verse. Our topic du jour includes most (if not all) of these aspects. 

Ala "Picard" S1 and comparable to the original "Sherlock Holmes" stories, our story begins with our hero finally getting to enjoy semi-retirement as the proprietor of his centuries-old family vineyard. Simultaneously, "Star Trek: Voyager" fave former-Borg Seven-of-Nine is involved in a deadly game of laser tag aboard her inherited spaceship that is integral to the S1 action. One spoiler is that Seven later gives fans the closest thing to a "Kiss Me, Kate" moment that they ever will get. 

The Han Soloesque former captain of the"Trek" answer to the Millennium Falcon has mostly abandoned his roguish ways and now occupies the big chair in the Federation ship The Stargazer. Trekkers know an earlier version of this member of the fleet as the first one on which Picard served.

Stargazer captain Cristobal Rios is out exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new life and new civilizations when he encounters a massive space anomaly that evokes thoughts of the TNG that sets the season-long sense of nostalgia in motion. Further investigation reveals a message that results in reuniting with Admiral Picard. 

The ensuing series of unfortunate circumstances set the season-long story arc afoot. This commences with a scene fairly straight-out-of the TNG big-screen premiere "Star Trek: Generations." This leads to introducing one of the aforementioned fan favorites. An especially awesome aspect of this is including aspects of the TNG pilot and the aforementioned series finale. 

The next segment puts an awesome twist on the multiverse element of "Trek." Expressing disappointment regarding the lack of goatees is a a significant spoiler for both Trekkies and Trekkers.

The borrowing from the theatrical "Trek" releases then goes into full force. Ala "Star Trek: The Voyage Home," Picard and his colleagues must travel to modern-day earth to put right what once went wrong. They even use the same time-travel technique that Team Kirk used in the film. 

One of three pet peeves regarding S2 is a lack of a "remember where we parked" reference regarding the cloaked ship. A hilarious homage to a "Voyage" scene involving an obnoxious bus passenger partially compensates for the omission.

The second pet peeve involves an otherwise sublime scene. This commences with an amusing reveal regarding the TNG series. The annoyance comes with Picard visiting someone from his TNG days. Both Picard and that individual incorrectly state that temporally this is their first meeting. HOWEVER, they met in a TNG episode that is set in a period before the early 21st century.

The handful of ways that the primary S2 plot emulates the TNG film "Star Trek: First Contact" is that it centers around the critical need to thwart sabotaging a space mission. The final S2 pet peeve is that the 24th century Picard should have been aware of this mission. 

Awesome subplots include the threatened escalation of a major Trekverse threat, insight into the 21st and 24th century histories of the Picard family, and scientific activity that plays a major role in virtually every "Trek" production.

A final cameo is a truly delightful surprise. We catch up with a character who arguably has undergone the most significant changes in the Trekverse. This further hints of a future Paramount Plus series that is centered around this legend of tomorrow. 

Of course, all of this leads to a Hollywood ending that ties up loose ends but leaves the audience wanting more. This conclusion heavily suggests that "Picard S3, which premieres in February 2023, will be tailored made to emulate another "Trek" series in a manner that will allow fans to check an item off their bucket lists.

The universe full of special features shows the love of the cast and crew for "Picard" and the Trekverse. Many answer the question "how did they do that" and others have old and new friends discuss their literal and figurative roles. We also get a gag reel and sadly deleted scenes that would have made a sublime series an 11. 

'Star Trek Picard' S1 DVD, BD, Steelbook: TNG: The New Class

 

The CBS Home Entertainment September 29, 2020 separate DVD/BD/BD steelbook releases of S1 of the CBS All Access series "Star Trek Picard" truly shows what become a legend most. This is not to mention the titular once (and future?) Starfleet admiral and his rebellious alliance boldly going where (almost) no man has gone before in search of new life and a new civilization.

Although Covid-19 is delaying the painfully highly anticipated S2 premiere, All Access already has committed to at least three seasons. ​

The following trailer pays wonderful homage to "Star Trek: The Next Generation" by featuring scenes of Picard, who only works in outer space, enjoying a peaceful existence at the family vineyard in France until duty once again harshes that particular mellow. The subsequent new faces and visits from old friends gives a sense of the "New Class" element. One spoiler is that Pulitzer Prize winning creator/head writer Michael Chabon spares us any appearances by Neelix, aka the Screech of the Trekverse.

The opening scene, which is far too awesome to even remotely spoil, immediately grabs Trekkers, Trekkies, and anyone who likes a good story. This first of countless love letters to TNG provides the perfect context for a central relationship that drives much of this perfect 10-epidose season that easily passes the "one more" test and leaves us wanting so much more, These payoffs include visiting Mr, and Mrs. Riker in their idyllic home. 

A true rude awakening soon comes for Picard when student Dahj visits in the wake of a puzzling attack. This ambush triggers an equally mysterious "activation" in Dahj that leads to kung-fu fighting in which she is fast as lightning. Although this is exciting; it is a little bit frightening.

The rest of the groundwork for the rest of the season is the 14 year-old incident that is behind Picard leaving Starfleet. His role in a controversial humanitarian mission to relocate "Trek" baddies the Romulans to Mars, which no longer needs women, leads to a catastrophic uprising by synthetic lifeforms that leads to a ban on their further development. This is akin to the "Star Trek: Enterprise" story arc as to superhumans; that one is memorable for the classic line "actually, Mother was a botanist."

An especially awesome aspect of this portion of the S1 saga is Picard following the "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" philosophy that you need a Klingon to fight a Klingon. 

The reimaging of the "Trek" verse that the must-see home-video special features mention includes the Starfleet brass surprisingly rejecting the request of the man who saved the world (a lot) to reup and fulfill the humanitarian mission of the Federation. We also get tech. that is borrowed from the "Stargate" universe. 

This rejection leads to Picard taking the desperate measure of enlisting the services of the blatantly Han Soloesque Cristobal Rios to use his version of the Millennial Falcon to help Picard find TNG enemy turned research collaborator Bruce Maddox; the is the first of several time that this series drifts into "Wars" territory. The holograms that augment the skeleton crew awesomely evoke thoughts of the current "Flash" series.

The maiden voyage for this motley crew is to a planet to recruit fighters for the action to come. This reunites Picard with a 20-something Romulan who still has Daddy issues as to that father figure from his youth. This adventure ends with a sequence that has highly predictable elements with a surprising twist that reverses the awesome tradition of having TNG characters pop up on "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager" ala Chrissie of "Three's Company" visiting former landlords the Ropers after they sell their apartment building. 

"Picard" also borrows from the ancient past by twice using "the old fake prisoner as a Trojan horse" trick from "Wars" and many, many, many, many other films and television series. 

All of this leads to an season-ending three-episode story arc that is one of the best in the entire "Trek" history. Picard is facing enemies on both sides as the events behind his leaving Starfleet begin to replay; of course, this screams for omnipotent mischief-maker Q to appear to further stir the boiling plot. Certainty exists as these events involving a strong element of the classic TNG series finale.

Team Chabon fully earns its pay as to how it wraps up these episodes that serve equally well as a season or series ender. Suffice it to say that we get Picard 2.0 and all is brought full circle. 

The aforementioned bonuses are too numerous to fully address; a personal favorite is one in which engaging (of course, pun intended) prop master Jeffrey Lombardi essentially shows us how the sausage is made. Great aspects of this includes looks at props from the TNGverse series, showing how technology has allowed making those toys even better, and meeting crew members who have been on the team since TNG days.

We also get a feature of Team Picard that clearly do not adhere to Starfleet protocol, a look at the Emmy-winning prosthetics and make-up, a tour of the sets. CBS augments (of course, pun intended) with deleted scenes and a gag reel.