This Week in Blu-ray / DVD Releases: Jason Bourne, Secret Life of Pets

By John Law

December 6th 2016, 10:25am

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

This Week: Has anyone used the 'Bourne Again' pun for Matt Damon yet? I'm the first? That, plus a freaky huge movie about pets, the return of The Tall Man, and 30 wacky years with a serial killer named Henry.

► Matt Damon and director Paul Greengrass are back in the saddle with JASON BOURNE, the fifth entry in the franchise and a box office comeback after the fourth entry with Jeremy Renner somewhat stiffed. The former assassin is lured out of hiding to dig up some truth on his dad, while he’s being hunted (of course) by the CIA. Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander and (back for more) Julia Stiles join the chase. Blu-ray includes features on bringing back Damon and shutting down the Vegas script for a key sequence. All five films are also released today in the BOURNE ULTIMATE COLLECTION.

► It was a given ‘Finding Dory’ would be the year’s biggest animated movie, but who had THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS as #2? At nearly $875 million worldwide, it’s one of the biggest non-Disney, non-Pixar animated movies ever. Louis C.K., Kevin Hart and Ellie Kemper are among the voices for this very Toy-Story-ish tale of what your pets do when you aren’t looking. Gossip, party, and get lost in New York City, mainly. Extras include three mini movies, a look at the voice actors, the ‘Humans Who Brought You Pets,’ and – because this is from the ‘Despicable Me’ camp – some words from a Minion.

► In addition to a remastered ‘Phantasm’ this week comes the long-gestating PHANTASM: RAVAGER, the fifth and supposedly final film in the series. It’s certainly going to be the last one with Angus Scrimm, who died earlier this year. He’s back as the Tall Man, renewing his battle with Reggie (Reggie Bannister, who has also been in all five films). While bouncing between dimensions, they eventually end up in the Tall Man’s red planet world. Don Coscarelli hands the director’s chair to David Hartman this time. They both do commentary among the extras.

► By any standard, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER is one of the most unsettling horror movies ever made. Mainly because it never feels like a horror movie – the blunt, detached way it treats its subject matter is the scary part, along with an unforgettable turn by Michael Rooker as the psycho drifter who believes the world is “them or us.” John McNaughton’s classic marks its 30th anniversary with a new 4K scan, the feature ‘In Defense of Henry,’ outtakes/deleted scenes, and a look at the film’s epic battle with the MPAA.

► It’ll be a Merry Mad Max Christmas with the HIGH OCTANE COLLECTION. The eight-disc set includes all four movies, the Black & Chrome Edition of ‘Fury Road’ (with introduction from director George Miller), and three hours of documentaries on the entire series, including a brand new one for ‘The Road Warrior.’ The Black & Chrome Edition is also being released separately Tuesday.

► So let’s see, after a weekend of horrible press about the shady shit that went on during filming of ‘Last Tango in Paris,’ here’s Bernardo Bertolucci’s LUNA coming to blu-ray. You know, the one with incest. Jill Clayburgh followed up her Oscar win for ‘An Unmarried Woman’ with this sordid Italian drama about a mom trying to save her son (Matthew Berry) from drugs and a bad crowd by getting…real close to him. This one was a mistake for pretty much everyone involved. Extras include a Bertolucci interview and commentary from Berry.

► One of the truly great Japanese horror films of the past 20 years, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s PULSE gets a stellar two-disc Special Edition this week. Piling on the dread, it follows the apocalyptic mystery of a strange website and a sudden surge in ghosts across the globe. Way more going on here beyond the scares – this smart, thought-provoking thriller probes what’s waiting for us in the spirit world, and what happens when those spirits want to come back. Includes a new interview with Kurosawa, an archival ‘making of’ documentary, and a collector’s booklet for first pressing only.

► Great reviews – just not many theatres – for Mike Birbiglia’s comedy DON’T THINK TWICE, which looks at members of a veteran improve troupe in New York and what happens when one of them (Keegan-Michael Key) finds solo success on a Saturday Night Live-type show called Weekend Update. Birbiglia also stars along with Gillian Jacobs, Tami Sagher and Kate Micicci.

Also out this week: