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Home Entertainment Consumer Guide: April 5, 2018

10 NEW TO NETFLIX

"Abacus: Small Enough to Jail"
"Bad Boys"
"Cube"
"Deep Blue Sea"
"Friday Night Lights"
"Heat"
"The Iron Giant"
"L.A. Confidential"
"Seven"
"Una"

4 NEW TO BLU-RAY/DVD

"Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon"

There's a certain irony in the fact that an homage to beloved cult horror icons has itself become a cult horror hit in the decade since its release, to the point that Scream Factory has given it their lavish Special Edition treatment. "Behind the Mask" is a clever mockumentary from the era when the genre was booming about a serial killer who models himself after movie icons like Jason, Freddy, and Michael Myers. It's smart and fun, but it didn't make much national noise in 2006. It really developed a following on DVD over the years, so much so that there's still current talk of the utmost sign of horror movie success: a sequel. 

Buy it now 

Special Features
NEW HD Master From The 2K Intermediate
NEW Joys And Curses – Interviews With Actors Angela Goethals, Ben Pace, And Co-writer/Co-producer David Stieve
NEW Before The Mask: The Comic Book – An Interview With Comic Book Artist Nathan Thomas Milliner
Audio Commentary With Co-writer/Director Scott Glosserman, Moderated By Filmmakers Adam Green And Joe Lynch
Audio Commentary With Nathan Baesel, Angela Goethals, Britain Spelling, And Ben Pace
The Making Of Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon Featurette
The Casting Of Behind The Mask: The Rise Of Leslie Vernon Featurette
Deleted And Extended Scenes
Theatrical Trailer

"Call Me by Your Name"

The Oscar winner for Best Adapted Screenplay (and a multiple nominee, including Best Picture and Best Actor) comes home so its hardcore fans can watch it whenever they want and those who never caught up with it will have the chance. It was my personal #1 film of 2017 (and made our composite top ten list as well) and it's a film I haven't been able to forget since I saw it nearly 15 months ago at Sundance. I've written about the movie so many times that I don't have much more to say about it other than if you're reading this column, you should see it. It's an essential film of the '10s. It holds up on repeat viewing and is a film that I suspect changes for viewers depending on where they are in their lives, as so much great cinema does. This is a movie that will play well for decades. Its themes are timeless and its art is forever.

Buy it now 

Special Features
Audio Commentary
Featurettes
Music Video

"Insidious: The Last Key"

And now for something completely different ... that's the great thing about this column: we can go from "Call Me By Your Name" to a Blumhouse cheapo sequel. While I generally only include Blu-rays or DVDs that I would recommend you buy or rent, you can see that this week is a little light, so I thought I'd throw this in just to make you aware that a 2018 theatrical release is already available. Sadly, unlike some critics, this is my least favorite "Insidious" movie. Yes, it's got a bit of ambition to it in the way it subverts supernatural expectations, but it's also just so slow. In theaters, it may have worked better, but you'll be distracted at home. The interesting thing is how much this movie made, a whopping $166 million worldwide, the most in the series! We're guaranteed three or four more of these. Strap in.

Buy it now 

Special Features
Alternate Ending
8 Deleted Scenes
Franchise Recap: “Dive Into the Insidious Universe”
Three Featurettes:
“Becoming Elise”
“Going Into the Further”
“Unlocking Keyface”

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle"

Speaking of box office stories, this is one of the most remarkable of the '00s. A sequel that it felt like no one particularly asked for made almost $1 billion worldwide. That's absolutely mind-blowing, and proof of how much we are in a nostalgia-driven culture right now. However, that doesn't explain it all. There's also the fact that this movie was perfectly cast and conceived in a way that allowed it to appeal to such a GIGANTIC demographic. Parents and kids could watch it together—and that's really what makes the Marvel and Disney movies such hits. They appeal to teenagers and the people who have to drive them to the theater. How's the movie itself? Probably better than you think. It's fun. Sure, it's way too long, but my whole family dug it and have already watched it twice. No wonder it made so much money.

Buy it now 

Special Features
Gag Reel
“Jumanji, Jumanji” Music Video by Jack Black and Nick Jonas
“Journey Through The Jungle: The Making of Jumanji”
“Meet the Players: A Heroic Cast”
“Attack of the Rhinos!”
“Surviving the Jungle: Spectacular Stunts!”
“Book to Board Game to Big Screen & Beyond! Celebrating The Legacy of Jumanji

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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