DVD Review - October 26

The Purge (Cert 15, 84 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Horror/Thriller/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99) Starring: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Adelaide Kane, Max Burkholder, Edwin Hodge, Rhys Wakefield.

The year is 2022. Unemployment is a mere 1% in America and there is almost no crime. Security salesman James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) returns home to his gated community and his wife Mary (Lena Headey) and children Zoey (Adelaide Kane) and Charlie (Max Burkholder). It's Purge night and at 7pm a siren will sound that grants anyone immunity from prosecution for killing for the next 12 hours. As the deadline approaches, the Sandins activate their state-of-the-art defence system and relax for the evening. The calm is shattered when teenager Charlie temporarily raises the shutters to allow a homeless man (Edwin Hodge) to escape from a heavily armed mob. That act of kindness has terrifying consequences when one member of the rabble (Rhys Wakefield) makes clear they will break into the house unless the homeless man is delivered to them. Writer-director James DeMonaco cranks up tension with sadistic glee in his impressively lean second feature. The Purge leaves a ball of nervous tension in your stomach during the opening hour as the Sandins attempt to maintain the facade of polite respectability as destruction reigns outside their home. Once that chaos breaks in, Hawke and Headey must fight for their lives in a series of breathlessly orchestrated showdowns. Thorny moral issues aren't discussed in great depth as the plot whirs into action and once the first gun shot sounds, it's only a matter of time before diplomacy is jettisoned in favour of blood-curdling screams and razor-sharp machetes.

Rating: *** Released World War Z (Cert 15, 116 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, Action/Horror/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £26.99/3D Blu-ray £29.99) Starring: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Sterling Jerins, Abigail Hargrove, Daniella Kertesz, Fana Mokoena, Peter Capaldi, Pierfrancesco Favino, Ruth Negga, Moritz Bleibtreu.

Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) is a retired United Nations investigator, who devotes his time to his wife Karin (Mireille Enos) and daughters Constance (Sterling Jerins) and Rachel (Abigail Hargrove). During a drive through Philadelphia, the Lanes witness the spread of a disease, which transforms men, women and children into merciless predators with a single bite. Gerry's old boss at the UN, Thierry Umutoni (Fana Mokoena), guarantees Karin, Constance and Rachel safe passage on an aircraft carrier if Gerry agrees to travel behind enemy lines to discover the source of the outbreak. The search moves from a military base in South Korea to Jerusalem and finally to a World Health Organisation compound in Wales where Gerry and an Israeli soldier (Daniella Kertesz) join four doctors (Peter Capaldi, Pierfrancesco Favino, Ruth Negga, Moritz Bleibtreu) in the frantic race against time for a cure. World War Z is a post-apocalyptic zombie action horror which boasts a cracking opening 60 minutes. Marc Forster directs at breakneck speed, capturing the pandemonium as the infected swarm like rabid animals, including some jump-out-of-your-seat scares that are even more delicious in 3D, available exclusively on Blu-ray. The final act, which was rewritten and reshot, feels out of kilter with the rest of the film but does at least stem the hordes of computer-generated undead that cram every frame of the early action sequences. Pitt maintains beatific calm in the eye of a pyrotechnic-laden storm, barely breaking sweat as he attempts to save mankind from annihilation.

Rating: *** Hummingbird (Cert 15, 100 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, Drama/Thriller/Romance/Action, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £21.99) Starring: Jason Statham, Agata Buzek, Benedict Wong, Vicky McClure, Victoria Bewick.

Joey Jones (Jason Statham) sleeps rough on rain-sodden streets with his friend Isabel (Victoria Bewick), hoping to forget about the military court martial that hangs over his head. The couple are attacked by two thugs and Joey escapes by tumbling through the skylight of a luxury apartment, which is thankfully vacant while the owner is away on business in New York. Joey uses the flat as a base of operations to get his life back in order and he secures work as a bodyguard to underworld figure Mr Choy (Benedict Wong). Gradually, Joey rediscovers his self-confidence and uses his earnings to buy food for the homeless station run by Sister Cristina (Agata Buzek). However, when Isabel's lifeless body is dragged from the river Thames, Joey's thirst for pain returns and he vows to punish her killer. Hummingbird is a gritty portrait of life in present day London, which charts a war veteran's journey back from the brink of self-destruction. Steven Knight's feature directorial debut echoes the grim mood of his scripts for Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises. He paints the capital as a melting pot of wasted lives and exploitation rather than a gleaming metropolis of neon-lit skyscrapers and opportunity. Statham lays himself emotionally bare, suggesting there might be a decent actor behind the muscular physique and stubbled chin. Of course, he still enjoys some bone-crunching skirmishes, and at least one growling aside ("You tell me what happened to her or I'll kill you with this spoon!") elicits snorts of derision.

Rating: *** A Haunted House (Cert 15, 86 mins, Entertainment One, Comedy/Horror/Romance, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99) Starring: Marlon Wayans, Essence Atkins, Nick Swardson, Cedric The Entertainer, Marlene Forte, David Koechner.

Malcolm Johnson (Marlon Wayans) moves into a new home with his girlfriend Kisha (Essence Atkins). Surveillance cameras, installed predominantly to document Malcolm's sexual shenanigans with Kisha, reveal the presence of a malevolent force in house. The spirit is evidently attracted to Kisha and sexually assaults her, then transfers its affections to Malcolm, treating him to a similar invasion of privacy. Malcolm calls in a psychic called Chip (Nick Swardson) to make contact with the spirit but Chip is more interested in getting his hands on Malcolm's body than driving out the randy forces of evil. As the visitations increase in intensity, Father Doug Williams (Cedric The Entertainer) arrives to cleanse the property, but not even a man of God is protected from harm. A Haunted House is a ham-fisted parody of Paranormal Activity, with occasional forays into The Devil Inside and similar found footage thrillers, which scares up one giggle in 86 lacklustre and occasionally offensive minutes. Director Michael Tiddes serves up a lame cocktail of racism, sexism and bigotry that leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. Bodily functions including flatulence and sexual peccadilloes account for the vast majority of Wayans's humour, which revels in the humiliation of characters for our supposed enjoyment. More troubling, there's the inescapable stench of homophobia in a number of scenes. The tone throughout is puerile and crude including Malcolm performing an unspeakable act while drunk, which apparently warrants a lingering close-up. The script, co-written by Rick Alvarez, scrapes the bottom of the barrel at every turn.

Rating: * Also released Curse Of Chucky (Cert 18, 93 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Horror/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99 - see below) Dead In Tombstone (Cert 15, 100 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, Western/Drama/Action, also available to buy DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99 - see below) The Deep (Cert 12, 93 mins, Metrodome Distribution, Drama, also available to buy DVD £17.99 - see below) The East (Cert 15, 116 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Thriller/Action/Drama, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £27.99 - see below) Green Street 3: Never Back Down (Cert 18, 89 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, Drama/Action, also available to buy DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99 - see below) Renoir (Cert 12, 112 mins, Soda Pictures, Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £17.99 - see below) New to buy on DVD/Blu-ray The Stone Roses: Made Of Stone (Cert 15, 96 mins, 4DVD, DVD £15.99/2-Disc Collector's Edition DVD £19.99/2-Disc Blu-ray £21.99/2-Disc Steelbook Blu-ray £24.99, Documentary/Musical) In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Stones Roses, led by singer Ian Brown and guitarist John Squire, were riding on the crest of a wave of critical adulation for their eponymous debut album. Personal rifts and infighting gradually tore the band apart and when a second album was met with less critical kudos, the members decided to go their separate ways. After 15 years of bitter estrangement, fans were stunned and delighted when the Stones Roses announced a reunion culminating in three high-profile dates in the band's home city of Manchester. Celebrated director Shane Meadows (This Is England) charts the rise of the group from the ashes as they step back into the spotlight, facing painful questions about the past and nervously looking forward to a glorious return to the stage.

Curse Of Chucky (Cert 18, 93 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Horror/Thriller) Don Mancini directs the sixth instalment of the long-running Child's Play horror franchise about a murderous doll. Chucky (voiced by Brad Dourif) arrives in the post unannounced and domineering matriarch Sarah (Chantal Quesnelle) throws the doll into the bin. Later that night, Sarah is stabbed to death and her grieving daughter Nica (Fiona Dourif) becomes embroiled in a battle over the family estate with her older sibling, Barb (Danielle Bisutti). While financial matters are settled, Barb moves into the family pile with her husband Ian (Brennan Elliott), their daughter Alice (Summer H Howell) and live-in nanny Jill (Maitland McConnell). It's not long before the rest of the clan fall victim to Chucky's demonic rampage.

American Horror Story: Asylum - The Complete Season Two (Cert 18, 531 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £34.99/The Complete First And Second Seasons DVD Box Set £49.99/Blu-ray £39.99/The Complete First And Second Seasons Blu-ray Box Set £59.99, Horror/Thriller) Tyrannical Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) wreaks havoc at Briarcliff Mental Institution for the criminal insane in 13 episodes of the Emmy award-winning horror anthology. The year is 1964 and plucky journalist Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) arrives at the facility to investigate claims that patients have been mistreated. She speaks to Monsignor Timothy Howard (Joseph Fiennes), who oversees Briarcliff, and bears witness to the tug of war between Sister Jude and sadistic medical officer, Dr Arthur Arden (James Cromwell). Over time, Lana unearths greater evil within the asylum walls, some of it perpetrated by a deranged serial killer known as Bloody Face. An eight-disc set comprising both series is also available.

Peaky Blinders - Series One (Cert 15, 342 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £24.99/Blu-ray £29.99, Drama) Death walks the streets of early 20th-century Birmingham in this six-part BBC Two series. Former war hero Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) is the driving force behind the notorious Peaky Blinders, a criminal gang, who sew razor blades into the peaks of their caps. Living on the wrong side of the law comes at a price and Tommy hopes to safeguard his family's future by going legit. Unfortunately, a consignment of stolen arms is too tempting, bringing Tommy and the rest of the gang into conflict with hard-nosed Belfast police officer, Chief Inspector Campbell (Sam Neill), who believes violence is a powerful weapon for putting the bad guys in their place.

The Borgias - The Third Season (Cert 15, 552 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, DVD £29.99/Seasons One, Two & Three DVD Box Set £54.99, Drama/Romance) The eponymous clan continues to scheme and backstab in 10 episodes of the historical Renaissance drama from the creators of The Tudors. This series, Rodrigo Borgia (Jeremy Irons), head of the family, barely survives an assassination attempt and must work hard to maintain his influence in the church. Meanwhile, his son Cesare (Francois Arnaud) struggles to prove his worth and step out of his father's shadow, and Rodrigo's daughter Lucrezia (Holliday Grainger) prepares for her marriage to Alfonso of Aragon (Sebastian de Souza). An 11-disc box set comprising all three series is also available.

Grimm - Season Two (Cert 15, 913 mins, Universal Playback, DVD £34.99/Blu-ray £39.99, Drama) Portland homicide detective Nick Burkhardt (David Giuntoli), who harks from a long bloodline of Grimms maintaining the balance of power between humans and mythological monsters, is reunited with his mother at the start of the second season of this supernatural drama. Police partner Hank (Russell Hornsby) finally learns the truth about Nick and his reaction is surprising, while former creature Monroe (Silas Weir Mitchell) is involved in a race against time to prevent a living volcano from erupting and destroying Portland. The six-disc box set includes all 22 fantastical episodes.

Morrissey: 25 Live (Cert E, 92 mins, Eagle Vision, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Documentary/Musical) To celebrate 25 years of the solo career of the former front man of The Smiths, who has become one of the world's most enigmatic performers, documentary filmmaker James Russell captures the singer up close and personal at his March 2013 gig at the Hollywood High School in Los Angeles. Tickets to the intimate concert in a 1,800-seat auditorium, the penultimate date on his US tour, sold out in just 12 seconds. Russell's film interviews fans before the concert to gauge their excitement then Morrissey takes to the stage, performing some of his most popular hits including The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Everyday Is Like Sunday, Meat Is Murder and Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want.

The East (Cert 15, 116 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £27.99, Thriller/Action/Drama) Director Zal Batmanglij and actress Britt Marling, the creative forces behind the 2011 thriller Sound Of My Voice, reunite for this equally tricksy ensemble piece about a spy who begins to question where her allegiances lie. Former FBI agent Sarah Moss (Marling) now works as an operative for private intelligence firm Hiller Brood under the watchful eye of her handler, Sharon (Patricia Clarkson). Sarah is asked to infiltrate a collective of dangerous environmental activists known as The East, who target corrupt multinational corporations and their CEOs responsible for destroying the planet. She achieves her goal and manages to convince the group's leaders, Benji (Alexander Skarsgard) and Lizzy (Ellen Page), that she is loyal to The East's cause. Sarah also befriends collective member Doc (Toby Kebbell), a medic whose nervous system was decimated by a so-called wonder drug during aid work in Africa. As Sarah gathers evidence on The East and its activities, she develops an attraction to Benji and loses sight of her original mission.

Revenge - Season 2 (Cert 12, 902 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £30.99/Seasons 1 & 2 DVD Box Set £42.99, Thriller/Romance) Emily Thorne (Emily VanCamp) continues her diabolical schemes in 22 episodes of the American drama inspired by Alexandre Dumas's The Count Of Monte Cristo. This series, socialite Victoria Grayson (Madeleine Stowe) is in hiding after faking her death but it doesn't take long for the truth to emerge, Amanda (Margarita Levieva) and husband Jack (Nick Wechsler) prepare to welcome their son into the world but their honeymoon culminates in tragedy, and shocking revelations come to light during a total blackout of Manhattan. A 12-disc box set comprising both series is also available.

Renoir (Cert 12, 112 mins, Soda Pictures, DVD £17.99, Drama/Romance) During the First World War, impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Michel Bouquet) seeks refuge in Cagnes-sur-Mer in the hope that the sunny climes will ease the pain of rheumatoid arthritis that renders each brushstroke such an ordeal. In these picturesque surroundings, Renoir meets beautiful model Andree Heuschling (Christa Theret), who would be the last woman to sit for him before his death in 1919. Pierre-Auguste's 21-year-old son Jean (Vincent Rottiers), who is injured on the battlefields, arrives in Cagnes-sur-Mer to recuperate so that he may return to his comrades in the Alpine Hunters 6th Battalion. Instead, Jean ignites his passion for cinema and Andree also becomes his muse, providing an unexpected link between father and son at very different points in their brilliant careers.

More Than Honey (Cert E, 91 mins, Eureka, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £14.99, Documentary) Over the past 15 years, bee colonies across the world have been decimated, giving rise to a phenomenon that scientists have coined "colony collapse disorder". In different regions, between 50% and 90% of local bees have vanished without trace, leaving their hives and never returning. The causes remain unknown but the repercussions are alarming. Around 80% of plant species require bees for pollination and as bee numbers dwindle at an alarming rate, fruits and vegetables face the possibility of disappearing entirely from the face of the Earth, creating shortages of produce vital to our wellbeing. In his documentary, Oscar-nominated director Markus Imhoof looks for possible reasons why the bees are dying out and searches for solutions from the scientific community to avert ecological disaster.

Mount Pleasant - Series Two (Cert 15, 422 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.99, Comedy/Romance) Ten episodes of the comedy drama centred on thirty-something recruitment consultant Lisa Johnson (Sally Lindsay) and her husband Dan (Daniel Ryan), which broadcasts on Sky Living. This series, Dan is consumed by the green-eyed monster when Lisa spends increasing amounts of time with her friend Kim (Claire Goose), new resident Chris (Robson Green) arrives in the street and causes an almighty stir, and Lisa's widowed friend, Kate (Liza Tarbuck), attempts to make amends for past mistakes.

Which Way Is The Front Line From Here? The Life And Time Of Tim Hetherington (Cert E, 77 mins, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99/Two Disc DVD Set £19.99, Documentary) In 2010, photographer Tim Hetherington and filmmaker Sebastian Junger released the documentary Restrepo, which charted the terrible human cost of Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan through the eyes of a company of US soldiers as they ventured into the Korengal Valley. The film was subsequently nominated for an Oscar. Shortly after the release of Restrepo, Hetherington was killed in Libya, photographing men and women who risk their lives in the name of freedom. Junger pays tribute to his dear friend in this documentary, which traces Hetherington's work across various battlefields, becoming a trailblazer in his chosen profession by capturing seminal images of resilience and heartbreak behind enemy lines. A two-disc set comprising this documentary and Restrepo is also available.

Def Leppard: Viva! Hysteria (Cert E, 93 mins, Frontier Records, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Documentary/Musical) Filmed live in March 2013 at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas over the course of nine nights, Christian Lamb's concert film follows the chart-topping UK rock legends in unusually intimate surroundings rather than the gargantuan stadia they have sold out for the past 30 years. Allowing fans to experience their music close-up, the film sees the band perform many of the greatest hits as well as the top-selling album Hysteria in its entirety.

Green Street 3: Never Back Down (Cert 18, 89 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Drama/Action) Fourteen years ago, Danny Harvey (Scott Adkins) turned his back on the notorious Green Street Elite and focussed his energy instead on mixed martial arts, learning how to channel his rage in a controlled fashion. Out of the blue, Danny learns that his younger brother Joey (Billy Cook) has been murdered in an apparently pre-planned fight. Details about the skirmish are sketchy but Danny needs to unmask his sibling's killer and mete out rough justice so he returns to his old stomping ground and re-enters the world of organised football hooliganism. James Nunn directs the third film in the series.

Dead In Tombstone (Cert 15, 100 mins, Universal Pictures (UK) Ltd, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £15.99, Western/Drama/Action) Guerrero Hernandez (Danny Trejo) is the head of the Blackwater Gang, a feared band of outlaws, who spring Guerrero's half-brother Red (Anthony Michael Hall) from prison before heading to the mining town of Edendale. Unfortunately, Red and the rest of the posse double-cross their leader and murder Guerrero in a hail of bullets. As he descends to Hell, the outlaw makes a pact with The Devil (Mickey Rourke) so he can return to the corporeal world and exact bloody revenge in the aptly named town of Tombstone.

The Deep (Cert 12, 93 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £17.99, Drama) One man's incredible courage and endurance provides Icelandic director Baltasar Kormatur with the framework for this harrowing dramatisation of a real-life event from March 1984 that defied belief. Twenty-four-year-old Gulli (Olafur Darri Olafsson) is an oafish, overweight resident of the remote Westman islands, who drinks and eats to excess. Like many of his neighbours in the 5000-strong community, he is a fisherman, heading out to the North Atlantic in appalling conditions in order to keep the local economy afloat. One fateful day, the boat, the Breki, capsizes in the freezing waters and Gulli tries in vain to save chums Palli (Johann G Johannsson) and Hannes (Bjorn Thors) from a watery grave. Alas, Gulli is the only person to survive and against the odds, he manages to swim for hours and then stagger over ice-laden rocks to seek medical assistance. Scientists are stunned by Gulli's seemingly superhuman feat and the world's media descends on the island. Meanwhile, Gulli looks for glimmers of hope in the eyes of his father (Theodor Juiusson) and mother (Maria Siguroarsdottir) in order to make sense of the tragedy.

The Cloth (Cert 15, 100 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £12.99, Horror/Thriller) Time is running out before Satan and his demonic minions take over the world. A secret organisation funded by the Catholic Church is determined to banish evil once and for all. Father Connelly (Danny Trejo) and Father Tollman (Eric Roberts) lead this battle for the forces of good but the holy men are unprepared for the sacrifices they must make to ensure the safety of mankind in Justin Price's apocalyptic horror.

Beat Girl (Cert PG, 93 mins, 101 Films, DVD £14.99, Drama) Heather (Louise Dylan) is a brilliant musician, who seems destined for greatness studying at the prestigious Julliard music school in New York. Those plans radically change when her mother dies and Heather is forced to live with her estranged father (Michael Higgs) and stepbrother Mike (Percelle Ascott). In these new surroundings, she meets record store owner Toby (Craig Daniel Adams), who also manages a DJ agency, and he introduces Heather to the world of modern dance music. Intoxicated by the transcendental power of the beat, Heather questions where her heart belongs in the music industry.

Smash & Grab: The Story Of The Pink Panthers (Cert 12, 88 mins, Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99, Documentary/Animation) Interspersed with cutting edge animated sequences directed by Tony Comely, Smash & Grab: The Story Of The Pink Panthers is a fascinating documentary styled as a noir thriller about the escapades of the world's most successful jewel thieves. Pink Panthers gang members Mike and Lela grant unprecedented access to their network, revealing the human stories behind the illicit diamond trade and the efforts of global police forces to bring the gang to justice.

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