DISCussion: New on DVD and Blu-ray (7.14.15)

We have such fantastic releases the week, we were not able to pick just one as the most desirable. With fantastic performances from Juliette Binoche in Clouds of Sils Maria, and three gorgeous Criterion restorations (Hiroshima Mon Amour, Black Stallion and Here is Your Life), choosing a standout feature was a real challenge. Therefore, because of the fantastic visual style and unique, original content, It Follows and Ex Machina have been declared our dual Recommendations of the Week. New Release: It Follows – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Ex Machina – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Clouds of Sils Maria – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) The Salt of the Earth – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) The Longest Ride – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Re-Release Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) – (Criterion Blu-ray) The Black Stallion (1979) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Here is Your Life (1966) – (Criterion Blu-ray)   It Follows – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) *Recommendation of the Week* Directed and written by David Robert Mitchell Starring: Maika Moore, Keir Gilchrist, Olivia Luccardi David Robert Mitchell takes the paranormal psychological thriller to another level with the fresh and gripping It Follows. Draped in visual splendor and heavy symbolism, It Follows takes place in a time and place all its own. Part Carpenter, part Bernstein, yet completely unique, Mitchell relies heavily on an incredible score from Disasterpeace and a carefully-constructed tension to pull off a fantastic horror masterwork. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 96% (Superb) Metacritic: 83 (Excellent) IMDB: 7.0 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 9.9/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $12.95 (Blu-ray); $11.99 (DVD); $4.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Ex Machina – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) *Recommendation of the Week* Directed and written by Alex Garland Starring: Alicia Vikander, Domhnall Gleeson, Oscar Isaac Rounding out our writer/director Recommendations of the week is Alex Garland with the spectacular Ex Machina. Delving into the base elements of humanity coupled with sharp aesthetic elegance, Garland questions the presence of consciousness in a whole new way. Using the groundwork laid by countless prior sci-fi films as a springboard, Ex Machina contemplates artificial intelligence in a truly intelligent (I had to) way. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 91% (Excellent) Metacritic: 78 (Very Good) IMDB: 7.8 (Very Good) Entertainment Fuse: 8.5/10 (Read our Review) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $16.90 (Blu-ray); $14.98 (DVD); $4.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Clouds of Sils Maria – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed and written by Oliver Assayas Starring: Juliette Binoche, Kristen Stewart, Chloë Grace Moretz Oliver Assayas's Clouds of Sils Maria marks yet another wonderful writer/director film coming out on Blu-ray this week. When an actress participates in a revival of the play that started her career, she is forced to reflect on her life and come to some tough realizations regarding the twilight of her career. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 89% (Very Good) Metacritic: 78 (Very Good) IMDB: 6.8 (Good) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $22.92 (DVD); $3.99/$12.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   The Salt of the Earth – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado and Wim Wenders Written by Juliano Ribeiro Salgado, Wim Wenders and David Rosier Award-winning filmmaker Wim Wenders teams up with relative newcomer Juliano Ribeiro Salgado to deliver a powerful documentary revolving around legendary photographer Sebastião Salgado. Having spent the previous several decades circling the globe photographing an ever-evolving human race, Salgado has captured some absolutely harrowing images, including many that have gone on to shape the current geo-political landscape. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 95% (Excellent) Metacritic: 83 (Excellent) IMDB: 8.4 (Excellent) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $27.99 (Blu-ray/ DVD Combo); $3.99/$13.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by John Madden Written by Ol Parker (screenplay) Starring: Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Bill Nighy, Richard Gere, Dev Patel The underwhelming follow-up to the box-office hit The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel suffers many of the pitfalls that one might expect from a film whose title was given so little thought. Pure charisma and the chemistry between Dench, Smith, Nighy and the other, aged cast members, keeps the otherwise dull film from completely sinking under its own lumbering weight. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 62% (Fresh) Metacritic: 51 (Okay) IMDB: 6.6 (Good) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $19.99 (Blu-ray); $14.99 (DVD); $3.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   The Longest Ride – (Blu-ray, DVD and Instant) Directed by George Tillman Jr. Written by Nicholas Sparks (novel) and Craig Bolotin (screenplay) Starring: Scott Eastwood, Britt Robinson, Alan Alda This one really depends on how strongly you feel about white people kissing. Do you like Nicholas Sparks “novels,” and melodramatic romance? No? Skip it. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 30% (Very Bad) Metacritic: 33 (Very Bad) IMDB: 7.2 (Very Good) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $24.99 (Blu-ray); $19.73 (DVD); $9.99/$14.99 (Instant Rent/ Buy)   Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Directed by Alain Resnais Written by Marguerite Duras Starring: Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas A documentary-turned-drama from French Left Bank director Alain Resnais (who passed shortly after its restoration), Hiroshima Mon Amour wanders the quietly-rebuilding streets of a town destroyed by the first nuclear weapon. Setting its gaze on an interracial couple in love, the film's depiction of the torrid, passionate relationship stands in stark contrast to the city's melancholy. A striking 4k restoration compliments Resnais' vision while paying homage to one of the French New Wave's greatest achievements. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 100% (Superb) IMDB: 8.0 (Excellent) Entertainment Fuse: 9.5/10 DISC DETAILS Amazon: $27.99 (Criterion Blu-ray)   The Black Stallion (1979) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Directed by Carroll Ballard Written by Melissa Mathison (screenplay), Jeanne Rosenberg (screenplay), William D. Wittliff (screenplay), Walter Farley (novel) and Walter Murch (uncredited) Starring: Mickey Rooney, Kelly Reno, Teri Garr Stunning cinematography from Caleb Deschanel and Carroll Ballard's inventive style enlighten a narrative of hope and perseverance. Alec (Reno) loses his father after a tragic boat accident proceeding the Second World War, and finds salvation on a desert island. The young man is stranded with the only other survivor from the destroyed vessel: an Arabian stallion. Making their way back to the United States, Alec and his horse meet a retired jockey (Rooney) and train “The Black,” as he comes to be known, for a race against the world's fastest horses. Critics Rating (Rotten Tomatoes): 86% (Very Good) Metacritic: 84 (Excellent) IMDB: 7.4 (Very Good) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $27.99 (Criterion Blu-ray)   Here is Your Life (1966) – (Criterion Blu-ray) Directed by Jan Troell Written by Bengt Forslund, Eyvind Johnson (novel) and Jan Troell Starring: Eddie Axberg, Gudrun Brost, Ulla Akselson A coming-of-age tale from famed Swedish director Jan Troell, Here is Your Life shadows a boy in his daily life at the dawn of World War One. Launching Troell's storied career, the film stands out as a remarkable debut. IMDB: 7.4 (Very Good) DISC DETAILS Amazon: $27.99 (Criterion Blu-ray)