‘Cell Block 99,’ ‘Flatliners,’ More on Home Entertainment … plus a giveaway!!!

BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99. ©Image Entertainment.

By ANGELA DAWSON

Front Row Features

RLJE Films is set to release the action/thriller film “Brawl in Cell Block 99,” on DVD, DVD/Blu-ray and Ultra High-Definition 4K/Blu-ray combo packs Tuesday Dec. 26.  Written and directed by S. Craig Zahler (“Bone Tomahawk”), the prison drama stars Vince Vaughn (“Hacksaw Ridge”), Jennifer Carpenter (“Dexter”), Udo Kier (Blade), Marc Blucas (“Underground”) and Don Johnson (“Miami Vice”). Former boxer Bradley (Vaughn) loses his job as an auto mechanic, and his troubled marriage is about to expire. At this crossroads in his life, he feels that he has no better option than to work for an old buddy as a drug courier. This vocation improves his situation until the terrible day that he finds himself in a gunfight between a group of police officers and his own ruthless allies. When the smoke clears, Bradley is badly hurt and thrown in prison, where his enemies force him to commit acts of violence that turn the place into a savage battleground. The DVD will be available for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $29.96, the DVD/Blu-ray combo for an SRP of $34.97 and on Ultra High-Definition 4K/Blu-ray combo for an SRP of $35.97.

Academy Award nominee Ellen Page (“Juno”), Diego Luna (“Rogue One:  A Star Wars Story”) and Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”) star in the contemporary take on the 90’s fan favorite “Flatliners” is available Tuesday Dec. 26 on Blu-ray and DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. It also is available on digital. The supernatural thriller follows five medical students obsessed with what lies beyond the confines of life. They embark on a daring experiment: by stopping their hearts for short periods, each triggers a near-death experience—giving them a firsthand account of the afterlife. Also, experiencing the chilling consequences of exploring the one line that should never be crossed are James Norton (“War & Peace”), Kiersey Clemons (“Justice League)” and Kiefer Sutherland (the original “Flatliners”).

The bonus content on digital, Blu-ray and DVD includes two behind-the-scenes featurettes:“Just What the Doctor Ordered” catches the cast and crew reflecting on working with Director Niels Arden Oplev (“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” “Dead Man Down”), along with an interview from Niels on his directing style and vision. In “The Ultimate Question,” the cast and crew decide whether or not they would flatline if they could and offer the revealing reasons behind their decisions.

The “Flatliners” digital and Blu-ray releases are loaded with additional exclusive bonus material, including deleted and extended scenes, plus two more behind-the-scenes featurettes. The featurette “Reviving a Cult Classic” explores the differences in tone, concepts and creative design from the original film and the update, featuring comments from producer and film icon Michael Douglas, while in “Making the Rounds,” the cast shares what intrigued them most about their characters, their experiences on the set, and their favorite film moments.

The high-end, transatlantic ITV and Acorn TV Original Series “Acceptable Risk,” makes its DVD and Blu-ray debut on Tuesday Dec. 26, from Acorn TV, an RLJ Entertainment brand. This six-part crime drama follows Sarah Manning (Elaine Cassidy, “The Paradise,” “The Others”) as she comes to realize how little she knew about her husband, Lee, before he was murdered. Her growing suspicions around his death lead Sarah to confront a powerful conspiracy of corporate, police and political interests, extending from Dublin to Montreal, in which her own family may be complicit. The DVD and Blu-ray two-disc sets has an SRP of $39.99.

The British series made its U.S. premiere in October on Acorn TV. It also stars Morten Suurballe (“The Killing”) and Lisa Hogg (“The Fall”). Each set includes behind-the-scenes featurettes and cast interviews.

The holiday season might be coming to an end, but Front Row Features is still in the giving spirit. That’s why we’re giving away a Blu-ray copy of the 2017 version of “Flatliners” starring Ellen Page (“Juno”), Diego Luna (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) and Nina Dobrev (“The Vampire Diaries”) to three lucky readers. To enter the contest, simply email socalmovieeditor@aol.com by Jan. 1, 2018, for your chance to win. Good luck!