By ANGELA DAWSON
Front Row Features
“The Ones Below” surfaces Tuesday Sept. 6 on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD. Written and directed by David Farr (“The Night Manager”), the psychological thriller, from Magnolia Home Entertainment under the Magnet Label, features performances from Clémence Poésy (“Harry Potter” franchise), BAFTA nominee David Morrissey (“The Walking Dead”), Stephen Campbell Moore (“Burnt”) and Laura Birn (“Purge”).
Expecting their first child, Kate (Poésy) and Justin (Moore) become friendly with their new neighbors, Jon (Morrissey) and Theresa (Birn), who are also expecting, in the downstairs apartment. Things take a turn after a dinner party upstairs and the new neighbors start to show sinister intentions towards Kate and Justin after an unfortunate tragedy strikes. The relationship turns threatening, leaving the couple in fear for their lives.
Special features include an exclusive chance to go below the story with a behind-the-scenes look at the cast and stunts. The Blu-ray and DVD are available for the suggested retail price of $29.98 and $26.98, respectively.
After losing her place at a prestigious academy, a young dancer struggles to keep her passion alive in “Honey 3: Dare to Dance,” a high-energy dance drama arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and Digital HD as well as On Demand on Tuesday Sept. 6, from Universal 1440 Entertainment.
Starring recording artist Cassie Ventura (“The Perfect Match”) and Kenny Wormald (“Footloose”), “Honey 3” is an inspirational romantic drama about overcoming adversity and the power of dance. At a prestigious South African school, Melea (Ventura) and her boyfriend (Wormald) imagine a hip-hop version of Romeo and Juliet, but Melea’s dreams are dashed when she’s unable to pay tuition and is forced to leave. Determined to fulfill her destiny, she does the unthinkable and persuades the community to support her artistic and unique vision. When adrenaline-filled rehearsals cause dance crew rivals and egos to get in the way, everything falls apart. Once again, Melea dares to dream and risks it all to put on a performance you’ll never forget. Bill Woodruff, who helmed the previous two “Honey” films, returns for this installment. The Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD contain more than 30 minutes of exclusive bonus features including deleted scenes, extended dance sequences, commentary with the director and a behind-the-scenes look at creating the spectacular dance performances.
Join Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and the whole Peanuts gang in their very first big screen adventure, “Peanuts: A Boy Named Charlie Brown,” available Tuesday Sept. 6 on Blu-ray. Take a jazzy joyride through the streets of Manhattan, with dream sequences, imagination-filled musical interludes, and icy flights-of-fantasy—all as Charlie Brown sets out to bolster his shaky confidence at the National Spelling Bee. The prolific, much-honored cartoonist Charles M. Schulz and franchise director Bill Melendez weave an animated world comprising witty dialogue, magical security blankets and bright-eyed beagles, all set to an Academy Award-nominated score by Rod McKuen and Vince Guaraldi.
More Peanuts adventures are in store in the animated “Peanuts: Snoopy Come Home,” available Tuesday Sept. 6 on Blu-ray.
When America’s most beloved beagle suddenly disappears, the whole Peanuts gang bands together to bring him back home. With “Dogs Not Allowed” signs everywhere he turns, Snoopy and his newfound feathered friend Woodstock—making his big screen debut—leave the comforts of home behind and head for the highways in search of their true place in the world. Camping, eating and just living the life of the open road, the intrepid twosome make their way across the country, dodging possessive pet-collectors, less-than-hospitable hospital workers, and bullying bus drivers on their way to reveal Snoopy’s secret past—only to discover that there really is no place like home.
An exotic vacation takes a dark turn in the suspense thriller “Urge,” arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital), and Digital HD Tuesday Sept. 6 from Lionsgate. From producers of “Crank” and “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For,” “ Urge” tells the cautionary story about what happens when a group of friends take a lavish weekend getaway to an island where a mysterious club owner (former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan) introduces them to “Urge,” a new designer drug that allows them to live out their wildest fantasies. But what starts out as a fun night of partying soon takes a sinister turn when their primal impulses become uncontrollable.
The film also stars Justin Chatwin (“War of the Worlds”), Ashley Greene (“The Twilight Saga” franchise), Alexis Knapp (“Pitch Perfect”), Bar Paly (“Non-Stop”) and Chris Geere (“After Earth”).
The home entertainment edition features a behind-the-scenes featurette and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD for $19.99 and $19.98, respectively.
The romantic comedy “In-Lawfully Yours” debuts on DVD and Digital HD Tuesday Sept. 6 from Cinedigm. Featuring a cast that includes Chelsey Crisp (“Fresh off the Boat”), Marilu Henner (“Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) and Corbin Bernsen (“Major League”) along with Philip Boyd (“Tyler Perry’s The Have and the Have Nots”) and Joe Williamson (“Grey’s Anatomy”), “In-Lawfully Yours” follows the adventures of Jesse (Crisp), a fun-loving New York City woman.
After her husband Chaz (Boyd) cheats on and later divorces her, Jesse still graciously helps her recently widowed mother-in-law, Naomi (Henner), pack up her home in small-town Bethel Cove. Jesse’s candid wit, eccentric questions and big city ways clash with the local community, including the town pastor Ben (Williamson), who also happens to be her ex-husband’s brother-in-law. The unlikely duo soon discovers what they are looking for is each other. But when they make their relationship public, Jesse’s ex-husband rallies the community against her and gets Ben fired from the church. Jesse leaves Bethel Cove to bring peace to Ben’s situation, and to hopefully find a place where she truly belongs, in spite of the fact that she can’t stop thinking about Ben.
Directed by Robert Kirbyson (“Snowmen”), “In-Lawfully Yours” was created in partnership with Home Theater Films and Regent University’s School of Communication & The Arts. Produced by Home Theater Film’s Chris Aronoff (“Christian Mingle”) and Bernsen, much of the filming of the movie took place on and around Regent’s Virginia Beach, Virginia, campus. Nearly 80 graduate and undergraduate students worked on the film, which was written by Regent professor Sean Gaffney. The DVD release will also include special behind-the-scenes features, highlighting the student filmmakers who helped bring the delightful film to the screen.
“A Bigger Splash,” a suspense thriller comes to Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday Sept. 6. (It also is available on Digital HD.) Academy Award winner Tilda Swinton and Oscar nominee Ralph Fiennes star in this provocative story of emotional betrayal and sexual desire. Swinton plays a famous rock star vacationing with her lover (Matthias Schoenaerts) on a remote Italian island. While the couple basks in the heat of the Mediterranean sun, their lives are soon disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old flame (Fiennes) and his seductive daughter (Dakota Johnson), creating a whirlwind of jealousy, passion and, ultimately, danger for everyone involved. The Blu-ray and DVD contain eight featurettes and more.
HBO Home Entertainment presents the release of its highly acclaimed drama “All the Way,” on DVD with Digital HD and Blu-ray with Digital HD Tuesday Sept. 6. Adapted from the critically acclaimed, award-winning Broadway run, “All the Way” stars four-time Emmy winner Bryan Cranston who reprises his Tony winning role in a riveting behind-the-scenes look at President Lyndon B. Johnson’s (nicknamed LBJ, whose 1964 campaign slogan is the title) tumultuous first year in office in the wake of President Kennedy’s 1963 assassination.
Bonus material on the home entertainment edition sets a historical featurette and Bryan Cranston’s physical transformation into the 36th President of the United States.
“All the Way” follows LBJ during his early administration, as he stakes his presidency on what would be a historic, unprecedented Civil Rights Act. Johnson finds himself caught between the moral imperative of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Anthony Mackie, “Avengers” films) and the expectations of the southern Democratic Party leaders who brought Johnson to power. As King battles to press Johnson while controlling more radical elements of the Civil Rights movement, Johnson navigates the bill through Congress, winning a landslide victory against Barry Goldwater, but causing the South to defect from the Democratic Party, which largely continues to this day.
The all-star cast includes: Melissa Leo (Lady Bird Johnson), Bradley Whitford (Hubert Humphrey) and Frank Langella (Sen. Richard Russell). Additional cast members include Joe Morton (Roy Wilkins) and Stephen Root (J. Edgar Hoover). Jay Roach (Emmy winner for HBO’s “Game Change” and “Recount”) directs the drama from a screenplay by Robert Schenkkan (Pulitzer Prize winner for “The Kentucky Cycle,” two-time Emmy nominee and Writers Guild Award winner for HBO’s “The Pacific”), who has adapted his Tony Award-winning play of the same name.
“South Park: The Complete Nineteenth Season” will be released widely on Blu-ray and DVD Tuesday Sept. 6. The release includes deleted scenes and commentary by creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
Every episode of this critically acclaimed and award-winning animated show is packed with unforgettable moments and hilarious absurdity—from pissed off celebrities to talking towels and crime-fighting kids. Join Kyle, Stan, Kenny and Cartman for all their foul-mouthed adventures.
Arriving on DVD Tuesday Sept. 6, “Being Poirot” attempts to discover how, after 25 years of playing one of television’s most beloved characters, David Suchet remains one of the beloved actors who have portrayed Agatha Christie’s enigmatic sleuth, Hercule Poirot. The documentary, available on DVD for a suggested retail price of $14.99, was previously only available as part of the complete series DVD collection. It also is available on Acorn TV.
Also from Acorn, “Foyle’s War Revisited,” hits the streets Tuesday Sept. 6 on DVD. Two-time Emmy and Golden Globe nominee John Mahoney (“Frasier”) hosts a behind the scenes look at the long running British crime investigation series. Learn about the creation of “Foyle’s War,” the decision to set it during World War II, the research that goes into each episode and the casting of Michael Kitchen as DCS Foyle. Available on DVD for $14.99, it previously only was available as part of the complete series DVD collection.
“Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Two” is now available on DVD and Blu-ray. All 22 episodes of the hit CG animated series’ second season, plus exclusive, never-before-seen bonus material are included on DVD and even more exclusive footage on Blu-ray. The Second Season continues the Star Wars Rebels saga of the Ghost starship crew trying to defeat the evil Empire.
Amid growing Imperial oppression on Lothal, the rebels are forced to seek out new allies throughout the galaxy and additional resources to sustain their fight against the Empire. With the help of Ahsoka Tano, the crew of the Ghost bands together with a secret rebel cell and ex-soldiers from the Clone Wars to join a fledgling alliance determined to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy.
As Ezra continues his journey to become a Jedi under Kanan’s guidance, the threat of the dark side looms large over the fate of the growing rebellion. Darth Vader himself will dispatch new Inquisitors to snuff any spark of resistance, setting the stage for a climactic showdown in which past lives will be revealed, terrible truths will be discovered, and the heroes’ lives will be changed forever.
Dave Filoni (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars”), Simon Kinberg (“X-Men: Days of Future Past”), and Carrie Beck created “Star Wars Rebels.” The Lucasfilm Animation production is also executive-produced by Filoni and Kinberg.
Featuring the voices of Freddie Prinze Jr. (“I Know What You Did Last Summer”) as Kanan, Vanessa Marshall (“Young Justice”) as Hera, Steve Blum (“The Boxtrolls”) as Zeb, Tiya Sircar (“The Internship”) as Sabine, Taylor Gray (“Bucket and Skinner’s Epic Adventures”) as Ezra, Ashley Eckstein (Her Universe apparel) as Ahsoka Tano, Dee Bradley Baker (“American Dad”) as Captain Rex and all the clones, David Oyelowo (“Selma”) as Agent Kallus and Sarah Michelle Gellar (“Buffy The Vampire Slayer”) as the Seventh Sister Inquisitor.
Can’t wait for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” to hit theaters in December? Front Row Features wants to make sure you get your “Star Wars” fix until then. That’s why we’re giving away a copy of “Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season Two” on Blu-ray to one lucky reader, perfect to enjoy with your little Jedi. Simply e-mailsocalmovieeditor@aol.com by Sept. 13 for your chance to win. Good luck, and don’t miss Season 3 of “Star Wars Rebels” when the series returns Sept. 24 at 8:30 p.m., on Disney XD.