The Corner Penthouse

Join me as I do a quick review round-up for the best of this month's new home video releases...

All of the items below have already been released and are available for purchase from Amazon at the links provided. The Corner Penthouse will earn a very tiny commission from your purchase using these links.



• BUY IT: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: Adam Clay (Jason Statham), a former operative of a powerful organization known as Beekeepers, upends his covert life and embarks on a brutal revenge mission to dismantle corruption at the highest levels of our society.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: None.

• RATING: R for strong violence throughout, pervasive language, some sexual references and drug use.

• NOTES: If you've seen any of Jason Statham's action films, you'll know what to expect here. An over-the-top fight fest that almost falls into the "so bad, it's good" category. Think John Wick, only dumber. The first run of the 4K UHD includes a slipcover.

• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers/MGM for review on this site.



• BUY IT: 4K UHD (Steelbook Pkg), 4K UHD, Blu-ray, 2-Disc Special Edition DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: Rookie cop Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) grew up in crime. That makes him the perfect mole, the man on the inside of the mob run by boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson). It's his job to win Costello's trust and help his detective handlers (Mark Wahlberg and Martin Sheen) bring Costello down. Meanwhile, SIU officer Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon) has everyone's trust. No one suspects he's Costello's mole.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the 4K UHD disc.

• Guilt & Betrayal: Looking into The Departed (15:05) - A new 2024 featurette featuring director Martin Scorsese as he speaks candidly about the film.
• Stranger Than Fiction: The True Story of Whitey Bulger, Southie and The Departed (21:07) - A vintage 2007 featurette that was clearly cropped from a 4:3 aspect ratio and upscaled from SD to 1920x1080.
• Crossing Criminal Cultures (24:04) - A vintage 2007 featurette that was upscaled from SD to 1920x1080.
• Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Martin Scorsese (19:25) - A total of 9 scenes; upscaled from SD to 1920x1080.

• RATING: R for strong brutal violence, pervasive language, some strong sexual content and drug material.

• NOTES: What is there to say about director Martin Scorcese's Mafia masterpiece? This crime drama excels and looks fantastic in ultra high definition. Definitely recommended, though I wish that the Theatrical Trailer (2:26) and the "Scorsese on Scorsese" 2004 TCM documentary (1:25:42) from the Two-Disc Special Edition DVD were ported over here. The documentary was never ported over to the old Blu-ray, so this new 4K release would have been a great opportunity to bring it back. By the way, The Departed is based on the Hong Kong film Infernal Affairs (also on DVD).


• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.



• BUY IT: 4K UHD (Steelbook Pkg), Blu-ray.

• SYNOPSIS: An endless army of Shadow Demons bent on the destruction of all reality swarms over our world and all parallel Earths! The only thing opposing them is the mightiest team of metahumans ever assembled. But not even the combined power of Superman (Darren Criss), Batman (Jensen Ackles), Wonder Woman (Stana Katic), Green Lantern (Aldis Hodge) and all their fellow superheroes can slow down the onslaught of this invincible horde. What mysterious force is driving them? And how do the long-buried secrets of the Monitor (Jonathan Adams) and Supergirl (Meg Donnelly) threaten to crush our last defense?

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the 4K UHD disc.

• Voices in Crisis (8:19) - Meg Donnelly (Supergirl, Harbinger), Jonathan Adams (Monitor), and Aldis Hodge (John Stewart / Green Lantern) speak about the movie and are seen in the recording booth.
• The Bat-Family of the Multiverse (8:25) - DC writer Geoff Johns, DC Group editor Katie Kubert, producer/writer Jim Krieg, DC archivist Benjamin LeClear, and others speak about Batman and company's role in the story and DC history in general.
• Part Three Sneak Peek (1:19) - Aquaman, Superman, and Wonder Woman vs. a couple of dinosaurs.

• RATING: PG-13 for violence, some disturbing images and thematic elements.

• NOTES: This is the second part in a trilogy, which is likely to conclude sometime this Summer. I already reviewed Part 1, and liked it quite a lot. Part 2 is even better, and I can't want to see Part 3 in a few months. I would assume at that time, Warner Brothers will release a "Trilogy" set containing all three parts, so if you want to hold of on buying this until that time, I wouldn't blame you - especially given the 4K Steelbook's rather high $50 price tag (no standard 4K release is currently available). However, if you collect Steelbooks, the magnificent metal case for both Parts 1 and 2 may not still be available at that time.


• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.



• BUY IT: Blu-ray, DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: A coming of rage love story about misunderstood teenager Lisa Swallows (Kathryn Newton) and her high school crush (Cole Sprouse), who happens to be a handsome corpse. After a set of playfully horrific circumstances bring him back to life, the two embark on a murderous journey to find love, happiness... and a few missing body parts along the way.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the Blu-ray disc.

• Audio Commentary - with director Zelda Williams.
• Deleted Scenes (3:37) - Includes "Get Me Out of Hell!", "Knock Knock", "Music Lovers", "Incredible Friend", and "Breaking News".
• Gag Reel (2:26)
• An Electric Connection (4:43) - While it's no easy feat to turn a 19th century dead guy into the perfect boyfriend, this piece explores Lisa and her charming Creature and what makes their relationship work. Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse, and filmmakers explore how Lisa and Creature really need each other to truly thrive, why Creature is the "perfect man", and Lisa's choice at the end of the film.
• Resurrecting The 1980's (4:34) - Set in 1989, Lisa Frankenstein is a loving tribute to the wacky, tacky, yet totally awesome 80s. Every department of production embraced the stylized world Diablo Cody created in her script and brought their A-game to making this colorful world a reality.
• A Dark Comedy Duo (4:01) - Well-known for her ability to subvert genres, Diablo Cody delves into the inspiration behind Lisa Frankenstein, what made her want to give the Frankenstein story a youthful, modern twist full of both horror and hilarity, and why Zelda Williams was the perfect choice to bring her story to life.

• RATING: PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, sexual material, language, sexual assault, teen drinking, and drug content.

• NOTES: A fun horror-comedy set in 1989, with an appropriate aesthetic, and a title that is a clear nod to '80s sticker queen Lisa Frank. Despite the title, the film is less Frankenstein and more My Boyfriend's Back, which is fine by me. It's one of my new favorite "cute girl movies" with a winning performance by lead Kathryn Newton. Quite a fun and enjoyable film debut from director Zelda Williams. (Yes, Robin's daughter.) The first print run of the Blu-ray includes a slipcover.

• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment for review on this site.



• BUY IT: 4K UHD, Blu-ray, DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: The standalone origin story of one of Marvel's most enigmatic heroines, Cassandra Webb (Dakota Johnson), a paramedic in Manhattan who may have clairvoyant abilities. Forced to confront revelations about her past, she forges a relationship with three young women - Julia Cornwall (Sydney Sweeney), Anya Corazon (Isabela Merced), Mattie Franklin (Celeste O'Connor) - destined for powerful futures... if they can all survive a deadly present.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the Blu-ray disc.

• Future Vision (6:51) - A look at filming Madame's visions, featuring cast and filmmaker interview clips.
• Casting the Web (9:09) - Interview clips about the film's casting.
• Oracle of the Page (4:45) - A brief look at the comics that inspired the film.
• Gag Reel (4:31)
• Fight Like a Spider (5:31) - A look at the movie's action.
• The Many Threads of Madame Web (3:55) - Showing all of the Easter eggs in the film.
• Deleted Scene (0:41) - A single scene titled "You Died".

• RATING: PG-13 for violence/action and language.

• NOTES: The film is not as infamously bad as you've likely heard that it was, but it's not good, either. It's sort of a marvelous (pun intended) trainwreck. A "superhero movie" without "superheroes" in it. Definitely something I would not recommend as a blind buy. Rent it first.

• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment for review on this site.



• BUY IT: Blu-ray, DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: Ray Waller (Wyatt Russell) is a former major league baseball player, forced into early retirement by a degenerative illness, who moves into a new home with his wife Eve (Kerry Condon) and their two children, Izzy (Amelie Hoeferle) and Elliot (Gavin Warren). The new home comes complete with a backyard swimming pool, but a deep secret surfaces and unleashes a malevolent force that will drag the family into the inescapable depths of terror.

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on the Blu-ray disc.

• Audio Commentary - with co-writer/director Bryce Mcguire.
• Masters of Fear (6:45) – Horror legends Jason Blum and James Wan discuss why they chose to collaborate on this project, what drew them to this story and why first-time director, Bryce McGuire, was the perfect man for the job.
• Demons from the Depths (7:16) – Dive into the world of special effects and learn how the creatures in Night Swim were created to withstand the trials of filming underwater.
• Into the Deep (5:50) – Go beneath the surface and hear from cast and crew on the physical and technical work that went into creating a movie that contains so many underwater sequences.
• Marco Polo (4:04) – Director Bryce McGuire breaks down the pivotal scare scene and how the film took a simple children's game and turned it into a nightmare.

• RATING: PG-13 for terror, some violent content and language.

• NOTES: The concept of a haunted swimming pool is patently silly, which director and co-writer Bryce McGuire readily admits in one of the special features, but it's not any more ridiculous than a haunted bed - and there have been at least two films with that concept: Death Bed: The Bed That Eats (1977) and Bed of the Dead (aka The Dwelling) (2016). I have no problem buying into the haunted swimming pool concept, and I hope others do, as well, as this is a good, suspenseful horror film that, at times, feels a bit like The Amityville Horror (1979) with a hint of The Ring (2002). The reliance on practical creature effects to portray the "deep water" denizens is another strength of the film. It was quite a joy to see "real" creatures and not CGI creatures. This feature film is based on a 2014 short of the same name, which is NOT included among the special features, unfortunately. A HIGHLY RECOMMENDED film. The first print run of the Blu-ray includes an embossed slipcover.

Universal's PR department sent me a beautiful Night Swim t-shirt with the Blu-ray, featuring an image that is a clear homage to the Jaws movie poster. I love it!


• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Universal Pictures Home Entertainment for review on this site.



• BUY IT: 4K UHD, Blu-ray (Alt Blu-ray), DVD.

• SYNOPSIS: Contains the three George Clooney films, each on their own disc.

Ocean's Eleven (2001) - Danny Ocean (George Clooney) likes taking chances. All he asks is that his handpicked squad of ten grifters and cons play the game like they have nothing to lose. If all goes right, the payoff will be a fat $150 million.

Ocean's Twelve (2004) - They're back. And then some. Twelve is the new eleven when Danny Ocean (George Clooney) and pals return in a sequel to the cool caper that saw them pull off a $150 million heist. But $150 million doesn't go as far as it used to. It's time to pull off another stunner of a plan. Exciting locations include Amsterdam, Paris and Rome.

Ocean's Thirteen (2007) - Danny Ocean (George Clooney) rounds up the boys for the most dazzling heist yet, after casino owner Willy Bank (Al Pacino) double-crosses one of the eleven, Reuben Tishkoff (Elliott Gould).

• SPECIAL FEATURES: All of the content below can be found on each 4K UHD disc.

• DISC 1: Audio Commentary - with director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter Ted Griffin.
• DISC 1: Audio Commentary - with actors Matt Damon, Andy Garcia, and Brad Pitt.
• DISC 1: Are You In or Out?: The Making of Ocean's Eleven (28:10)
• DISC 1: Pros and Cons: Inside Ocean's Outfit (13:02)
• DISC 1: The Style of Steal (10:49)
• DISC 1: The Look of the Con (9:40)
• DISC 1: Original Ocean's, Original Cool (13:59)
• DISC 2: Audio Commentary - with director Steven Soderbergh and screenwriter George Nolfi.
• DISC 2: Ready, Jet Set, Go: The Making of Ocean's Twelve (25:39)
• DISC 2: HBO First Look: Twelve is the New Eleven (13:02)
• DISC 2: Deleted Scenes (28:19) - A total of 18 scenes.
• DISC 3: Audio Commentary - with director Steven Soderbergh and writers Brian Koppelman & David Levin.
• DISC 3: Third's a Charm: The Making of Ocean's Thirteen (29:46)
• DISC 3: Ahab with a Piggyback: The Means & Machines of Ocean's (9:03)
• DISC 3: Jerry Weintraub Walk and Talk (2:25)
• DISC 3: Masters of the Heist (44:02)
• DISC 3: Deleted Scenes (4:35) - A total of 4 scenes.

• RATING: Ocean's Eleven (2001) has been rated PG-13 for some language and sexual content. Ocean's Twelve (2004) has been rated PG-13 for language. Ocean's Thirteen (2007) has been rated PG-13 for brief sensuality.

• NOTES: As is usual with Warner releases, no Blu-ray copies are included. The female-led Oceans Eight (reviewed here) isn't included, either, though it's set in the same universe. Also not found here is the original 1960 film starring The Rat Pack. Do note that all three films are also available separately as 4K Steelbook releases: Eleven, Twelve, and Thirteen. The first print run of the Trilogy 4K UHD includes an embossed slipcover.

• CREDIT: This item has been provided by Warner Brothers for review on this site.

If you're looking for more cool stuff to buy, check out all of the other items I've reviewed over the years. I'm sure you'll find something you'll love.