Blu-ray Disc Movies

A physician heads down a dangerous road when he sets aside his ethics in this thriller from director Lance Daly. Martin Blake (Orlando Bloom) is a British medical student who has come to the United States to begin a residency at a hospital in Southern California. He is handsome and charming, but beneath the surface he's an arrogant man who longs to wield power over others. Blake doesn't fare well with his first few patients, and is on shaky ground with his superiors when he begins treating Diane (Riley Keough), a beautiful teenager with a kidney infection. Diane is clearly taken with Blake's good looks and they enjoy one another's company, while his superiors are impressed with his care for her. But Blake doesn't want Diane released too quickly, and he begins adjusting her medication so that her infection will take longer to clear up. Jimmy (Michael Peña), an orderly, notices what Blake is doing, and threatens to expose him unless he gets what he wants -- a steady supply of pharmaceuticals. Also starring Rob Morrow, Taraji P. Henson, and J.K. Simmons, The Good Doctor received its world premiere at the 2011 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A feisty coed joins a collegiate a cappella group and upgrades their song selection for the 21st century during the run-up to a major competition in this melodic comedy from Tony-nominated Avenue Q director Jason Moore. Drifting past the various cliques after arriving at college, Beca (Anna Kendrick) pays more attention to the jams pumping in her headphones than the people she passes on her way to class. But all that changes the moment she stumbles into the one place where every misfit has a voice -- the campus a cappella group. Although the competition amongst the singers proves surprisingly fierce, there's just one aspect of the group Beca can't wrap her head around: All of the songs they perform are at least a decade old. Convinced that they can do better by adding some contemporary tunes into the mix, Beca whips up an exciting new set list that will set the group apart and leave their rivals in the dust. Brittany Snow, Anna Camp, and Rebel Wilson co-star. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Originally adapted by director Paul Verhoeven in 1990, author Philip K. Dick's classic sci-fi short story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale returns to the big screen in this remake starring Colin Farrell, Bryan Cranston, and Kate Beckinsale, and directed by Underworld's Len Wiseman. The planet has been decimated by nuclear war in the late 21st century, leaving only two nations -- the United Federation of Britain and the Colony. Douglas Quaid (Farrell) is a factory worker with a stable job and a loving wife (Beckinsale), but upon learning that a company named Rekall could grant him the memory of the ultimate espionage adventure, he decides that a virtual vacation is better than no vacation at all. But in the midst of having the new memories implanted, something goes haywire. Still strapped to the chair as the system breaks down, he's branded a spy as the authorities close in, and quickly flees for his life. Later, Quaid discovers that he has a secret identity, and he joins forces with rebel soldier Melina (Jessica Biel) on a mission to track down Matthias (Bill Nighy), the head of a fierce resistance movement that's been labeled a terrorist organization by the tyrannical Chancellor Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston). Cohaagen seeks to control the entire free world, and now the harder Quaid fights to defeat him, the clearer it becomes that his memory had been altered long before he walked into Rekall. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The fourth installment of the highly successful Bourne series sees the return of the franchise's screenwriter, Tony Gilroy, this time stepping into the director's seat for an entry which sidelines main character Jason Bourne in order to focus on a fellow estranged assassin (Jeremy Renner). Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz co-star, with Joan Allen and Albert Finney reprising their roles from the previous films. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

The Island, a turgid action drama directed by Michael Ritchie, revolves around the adventures of Maynard (Michael Caine), a newspaper reporter who tries to solve the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Maynard, and his son crash-land on a remote island ruled by a gang of pirates who kill anyone who intrudes there. From beginning to end, The Island is slow, uninvolving and very bloody. The terrible script by Peter Benchley, who also wrote Jaws, is jagged and the dialogue is cliched. The film was an economic disaster and is only of interest because of a good score by Ennio Morricone. ~ Linda Rasmussen, Rovi

Jesse Eisenberg, Melissa Leo, and Tracy Morgan headline Ron Nyswaner and Phil Dorling's quirky comedy about a young piano prodigy who recruits a pair of drug dealers to help his troubled mother get high, thus qualifying her for rehab, as he prepares for a crucial audition that could determine his future as a musician. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A six-year-old girl from the southern Delta searches for her long-lost mother after her father falls ill and her world spins out of balance in the film from director Benh Zeitlin that took home the Grand Jury Prize and Best Cinematography award at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. A harsh but loving father, Wink swore that his beloved daughter Hushpuppy would be prepared for the day he was no longer able to look after her. Little did Wink realize that day would come sooner than anyone suspected, and when illness strikes him down, nature runs amuck. As the soaring temperatures melt ice caps and the sea levels swell, a race of prehistoric beasts named the aurochs emerge to reclaim the planet. Meanwhile, as the apocalypse unfolds, determined Hushpuppy bravely sets out on a mission to locate the mother she's never known. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A United Nations Space Command (UNSC) cadet experiences a crisis of conscience before facing the Covenant on the battlefield, and draws inspiration from Master Chief while fighting for the future of mankind in this sci-fi action opus based on the hit X-Box franchise. As the latest crop of cadets trains to defend Earth from extraterrestrial threats, new recruit Thomas Lasky questions the need to fight. Later, after witnessing the ruthlessness of the Covenant firsthand, Lasky realizes that he may have what it takes to follow in the footsteps of the great Master Chief. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

An infertile plants their hopes for a child in the garden, and receive an unexpected gift when a young boy emerges from the soil claiming to be their son in this enchanting comedy drama from Academy Award-nominated writer/director Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape, Dan in Real Life). Jim (Joel Edgerton) and Cindy Green (Jennifer Garner) are struggling to accept the fact that they will never conceive a child of their own when, one night during a thunderous storm, a young boy named Timothy (CJ Adams) comes knocking at their door. In time, the prospective new parents and their curious neighbors discover that the most amazing things can happen just when you least expect it.
~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A group of criminals scour a secluded country home for a mysterious videotape, and bear witness to scenes of unimaginable terror in this found-footage-style anthology horror film featuring segments from Glenn McQuaid (I Sell the Dead), Ti West (House of the Devil), Joe Swanberg (Silver Bullets), David Bruckner (The Signal), Adam Wingard (You're Next, and Radio Silence). It seemed like a simple job; all they needed to do was enter the home, find the videotape, and deliver it to their boss. But from the moment they arrived, a sinister tension descended. Gaining access to the house, the young thugs discover a rotting corpse amidst a collection of vintage television sets, and stockpiles of VHS tapes. Somewhere amidst the stacks is the tape they seek, but with each new video they watch, the dread continues to build. The sights that they witness are too horrible for words, but the greatest shock is yet to come. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A talented young woman is torn between her dreams and her family in this musical. Sparkle (Jordin Sparks) has been blessed with a beautiful voice and a gift for songwriting, but she's afraid to perform her songs in public, in part because her mother Emma (Whitney Houston), a former entertainer whose career brought her nothing but heartache, refuses to allow her daughters to sing outside of church. But Sparkle persuades her older sibling Sister (Carmen Ejogo) to sing one of her tunes at a talent show, and the reaction proves that Sister has star quality and Sparkle can write potential hits. An ambitious would-be manager, Stix (Derek Luke), persuades Sparkle and Sister to form a singing group with their sibling Dolores (Tika Sumpter), but while the act clicks wit audiences, the sisters have to contend with their angry mother, Sister gets caught up in a destructive relationship with a short-tempered comedian (Mike Epps), and Sparkle finds herself falling in love with Stix. Based on the 1976 musical of the same name, Sparkle proved to be the last major project for Whitney Houston, who died while the film was in post-production; it was also the first feature film for American Idol champion Sparks. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi