Ninja Video

This Week in Home Video: Possessed Ninjas, Oz, Hansel & Gretel, Bruce Lee and Father's Day

This Week in Home Video previews all the latest Blu-ray, DVD and on-demand titles hitting the street this week, plus lost gems, crazed Cancon, outrageous cult titles and the best places to rent or buy movies in Toronto.

Ninja III: The Domination (Scream Factory)

Certifiably bonkers 80s trash treasure about the spirit of a dead Ninja (played by the master Shô Kosugi) possessing a fit young aerobics instructor (Lucinda Dickey of Breakin and Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo fame) to avenge his death. Only the notorious sweat factory Cannon could produce something so monumentally insane and yet utterly brilliant in its gore soaked and lowlife aspirations (Ninja star to the face! Eyeball stabbings! Golfball crushing!).

The opening Ninja massacre on a golf course is one of those must seen to be believed moments in modern film making, and is surely a low highpoint of the decade. Sequel in name only to the much less goofy and more earnest Enter The Ninja and Revenge of the Ninja. Ninja III produced no offspring, sadly.

Extras include commentary from the director and stunt co-ordinator. Pretty much the best beer and popcorn flick you're gonna come across this side of Repo Man or The Big Lebowski.

ALSO OUT THIS WEEK

Oz The Great and Powerful (Walt Disney)

Disney's glossy remake/sequel to 1939's Wizard of Oz drowns the screen in CGI, jettisoning much of the simple yet effective imagery of the original in favour of a visual cacophony. James Franco contributes an extra, titled "My Journey In Oz" which is more moving than the film itself. Other extras include a portrait of composer Danny Elfman, a short about Walt Disney's obsession with Oz, and lots about the wondrous production design. Shame that Disney didn't release this in a double pack with the vastly superior Return to Oz.

Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D (Paramount)

Grim Fairy tale for grown-ups with just enough vulgarity and gore to keep the kids interested. Jeremy Renner steals it wholesale, but Gemma Arterton and Famke Janssen bring a decent game, too. Features include an Extended Cut with "More Witches, Weapons and Action", "Reinventing Hansel and Gretel", and "Meet Edward the Troll".

Enter the Dragon: 40th Anniversary Edition (Warner Bros)

Bruce Lee's epic bad ass Kung Fu style never gets old, and this classy 40th Anniversary release underlines that with a wealth of golden bonus features including "Wing Chun: The Art that Introduced Kung Fu to Bruce Lee", "Backyard Workout with Bruce Lee", "Blood and Steel: The Making of Enter the Dragon" and "Personal Profile Bruce Lee: In His Own Words".

Doctor Who - The Mind of Evil (BBC)

Frenetic 1970s Doctor Who yarn finds his arch enemy the Master hi-jacking a nuclear weapon to threaten a Peace conference while the Doctor is distracted by a nightmare machine which kills people with their own fears. Filmed on location in a prison and featuring lots of military business, this is a great snapshot from Doctor Who's James Bond years.

The Inbetweeners: Season 3 (eOne)
Thrid series of the hilarious UK import. Forget about the cringe inducing American remake last year and check out the funniest TV representation of teenage-dom since Freaks and Geeks. Extras include a season 3 prequel and many funny deleted scenes.

Hunky Dory> (eOne)



1976-set musical from the producer of Billy Elliot, which should help you decide if you'll be interested in it or not. 90s casualty Minnie Driver plays a high school teacher firing up her students imaginations and hormones with a glam rock version of The Tempest. Featuring music by ELO, The Beach Boys and David Bowie.

STILL FRESH

FATHER'S DAY MOVIE MARATHON

Father's Day is this Sunday, and if the crappy weather keeps up then it might be a good excuse to hang with Dad and catch a couple of flicks. Here are some titles which are all available now and that the Old Man might enjoy, on-demand, Blu-ray, stream or even VHS.

Slapshot

The Verdict

The Blues Brothers

Last Ride

Brubaker

Viva Zapata!

A Bridge Too Far

The Henry Ford Film Collection

Includes Jesse James, Drums Along the Mohawk, The Grapes of Wrath, The Return of Frank James, Immortal Sergeant, The Ox-Bow Incident, My Darling Clementine, Daisy Kenyon, The Longest Day, and The Boston Strangler

Gangster Squad


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