Downingtown native Miles Teller commits body and soul to “Bleed For This,” a biopic about boxer Vinny Pazienza, one of the strongest-willed belters in the history of the sport.
After winning two title bouts, Paz is involved in a brutal car accident that leaves him with a nearly-severed spine. Rather than undergoing the recommended treatment, he wears a painful Halo brace and begins training to go back in the ring.
Paz’s determination to make a comeback is essentially the whole movie, and the scenes of him lifting weights after the accident and having the screws removed from his skull are simply riveting. On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
Also New To VOD and StreamingHacksaw Ridge: A coward, that’s what Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is called when he refuses to pick up a rifle in basic training. But Doss, a conscientious objector who joined the Army because he didn’t want others to fight for him, winds up saving 75 lives in Okinawa in one of the most brutal clashes of World War II. Director Mel Gibson knows how to stage a battle scene for maximum impact. But the real miracle of the movie is how Gibson takes you inside Doss’s psyche as he struggles to find the strength to retrieve one wounded soldier after another. On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
***Burn Country: The impossibility of easily knowing a place and its people are the themes of this shaggy dog thriller about an Afghan fixer named Osman (Dominic Rains) who is given asylum in a small Northern California town. Even though he’s rooming with the sheriff (Melissa Leo), he soon finds himself caught up in the disappearance of the town troublemaker (James Franco). As Osman begins sleuthing, he discovers Redwood Country can be as dangerous as Kabul. While director Ian Olds seems more interested in crafting an existential reverie than a classic suspenser, there’s more than enough surprises to satisfy every a hardcore genre fan. On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
***Two Lovers And A Bear: After premiering at the Toronto Film Festival back in 2015, this snow-packed romance bypassed theaters on its way to DVD. It’s easy to understand why it never found an audience. The first half of the saga about two twentysomethings (Zionsville-reared Dane DeHaan, Tatiana Maslany) trying to outrun their demons in an icy Canadian outpost is completely lacking in tension. But when DeHaan and Maslany head back to civilization on snowmobiles, the story begins to find its heart as the depth of the lovers’ bond comes into sharper focus. On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
***Stake Land II: In this follow-up to the surprise 2011 horror hit, the action picks up with Martin (Connor Paolo) reeling from the death of his wife and child. As he leaves New Eden to wander alone through the post-apocalyptic wasteland, he’s reunited with his mentor, the vamp-hunting Mister (Nick Damici). Original director Jim Mickle, a Pottstown native, hasn’t returned but Dan Berk and Robert Olsen do right by the mythology – and the atmosphere – of “Stake Land.” As played by Damici, Mister remains a particularly juicy character. Imagine Charles Bronson with a raging migraine. Best of all, the finale, which finds our heroes battling the born-again Brotherhood, delivers the action-movie goods. On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
***I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore: From the producers of “Certain Women” and “Green Room” comes the story of a nursing assistant named Ruth (Melanie Lynskey) who is having a particularly bad day when she returns home to find that she’s been burglarized. Accompanied by her martial-arts-enthusiast neighbor Tony (Elijah Wood), Ruth decides to track down the criminals. But it doesn’t take long for the amateur sleuths to discover they are way out of their league against a pack of degenerate criminals. The film, which was written and directed by Macon Blair (“Blue Ruin”), earned rave reviews when it opened this year’s Sundance Film Festival. On Netflix.
***Mike Birbiglia: Thank God For Jokes: On the heels of his acclaimed movie “Don’t Think Twice,” the stand-up comic filmed his latest tour for Netflix and it’s sure to be a keeper thanks to routines about performing with the Muppets, taking a trip home to Massachusetts and the eternal divide between the two kinds of people in the world: those who are always late and those who are always on time. On Netflix.
FOR THE KIDSHeaven Sent: Angels come in all sizes in this faith-based film about an about-to-divorce couple (Christian Kane, Marley Shelton) who are forced to re-evaluate their marriage thanks to a mischievous little angel (Mallory James Mahoney). On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
***Scooby-Doo!: Shaggy’s Showdown: The latest feature-length movie from the Scooby-Doo gang is a western-themed adventure set at the Crazy Q Dude Ranch. Our heroes are tasked with rooting out the ghost of scalawag outlaw Dapper Jack. Fetch the family along for a funfest which finds much hilarity in the efforts of the mystery-loving posse to save the ranch and exorcise the dreadful critter. On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
TEEN TITLEBeauty and the Beast: Before you check out Disney’s upcoming live-action adaptation of its animated hit, acquaint yourself with this visually lush fantasy from Christophe Gans (“Brotherhood of the Wolf”). Lea Seydoux stars as Belle who finds herself at castle of the Beast (Vincent Cassel), a man living under a terrible enchantment. As Belle attempts to release the Beast from his curse, the two discover true love. While Gans’ movie is a bit overlong and undercooked, there’s no denying the chemistry between Seydoux and Cassel. On Amazon, Google, iTunes and Vudu.
