By: Al B.
THE FASHION LOVER
Ariztical Entertainment
On Digital May 17
Young Giovannino hopes to become a fashion designer. Unfortunately, his small rural town is a long way from the bright lights. With his cheating father out of the picture, Giovanni must reckon with an angry mom. But two friends, a fashion teacher with connections, and a buddy who’ll do anything for him, give Giovanni hope.
BAD ROADS
Film Movement
In Theaters and via virtual Cinema Now
In Theaters and via Virtual Cinema now
A man alleging to be a schoolmaster is accosted by the military at a checkpoint. Two teenagers wait for their soldier boyfriends in a dilapidated town square. A journalist is held captive and gets brutally assaulted. A young woman apologizes to an elderly couple for running over their chickens. Featuring four stories set against the backdrop of the Donbass roads during wartime, loomed by disorientation, paranoia, and terror, BAD ROADS, which challenges the very notion of truth, delivers audiences to a bleak Ukraine they’ll not soon forget.
GAGARINE
Cohen Media Group
On Blu-ray May 3rd
Yuri, 16, has lived all his life in Gagarine Towers, a vast red brick housing project on the outskirts of Paris. From the heights of his apartment, he dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when plans to demolish his community’s home are leaked, Yuri joins the resistance. With his friends Diana and Houssam, he embarks on a mission to save Gagarine, transforming the estate into his own “starship.
WHY IS WE AMERICANS?
Corinth Films
Available on DVD/Digital now
From the Newark Rebellion of 1967 to current day, the city’s narrative has been one of revolution with each generation picking up where the previous had left off. WHY IS WE AMERICANS? weighs in on Newark’s struggle against oppression through the personal triumphs and tragedies of the Baraka family — from Amiri’s civil rights leadership and ultimate artistic marginalization, to the horrific murder of his sister, Kimako, through the homicide of daughter Shani (one of the first openly gay black activists) to the historic election of Ras Baraka as mayor of Newark, NJ. And through it all, it is the matriarch, Amina Baraka, who emerges as story’s lode star and moral compass
A LIFE AMONG WHALES
IindiePix Films
Available on DVD now
Up until recently, whaling was more or less universally accepted and whales were seen as resources to be exploited rather than thinking, feeling animals with their own intrinsic value. But thanks to the work of passionate conservators such as Dr. Roger Payne, a renowned whale biologist and activist credited with spearheading global public awareness of the plight of whales, the world no longer turns a blind eye to these beautiful ocean behemoths. Weaving together a unique hybrid of natural history and biography, the award-winning A LIFE AMONG WHALES is a fascinating exploration into Dr. Roger Payne’s life and pioneering work in the ‘60s and ‘70s. Featuring remarkable cinematography and capturing Payne’s infectious spirit and fascinating discoveries.
TWO MEN IN TOWN
Cohen Media Group
On Blu-ray May 7th
Forest Whitaker stars as William Garnett, an ex-con starting life over as a recently converted Muslim. With the help of his determined parole officer (Brenda Blethyn), he gets a job, meets an interesting woman, and keeps his head down. But the town sheriff, Bill Agati (Harvey Keitel), can’t leave him alone since Garnett was responsible for killing his deputy. As Agati puts pressure on him, and his old partners in crime hassle him, Garnett slowly starts to unravel. When his former life catches up with him, Garnett has to make peace with his past and face the future head on, with a gun.
YEAR OF THE JELLYFISH
Cohen Media Group
On Blu-ray May 10th
Cohen Film Collection introduces this French Eurotrash cult classic. Set in Saint Tropez during mid-summer, this darkly biting coming-of-age story is a tale of obsession and sexual desire. A young woman (Valerie Kaprisky) vacations in an upscale beach resort with her mother, where it becomes clear that a layer of secrets and jealousy lay beneath the sundrenched paradise.
MOTHERLY
Entertainment Squad
Available on DVD May 3
Kate (Lora Burke) and her daughter Beth live alone in an isolated farmhouse in the woods, but when Kate slowly begins to suspect that something sinister is happening, her motherly instincts are put to the test.