#Middlebury #DVDs
“Searching” (R) – John Cho stars as David, a widower whose 16-year-old daughter disappears after a study group. Although he enlists the help of a police detective (Debra Messing), the physical trail goes cold, and he begins to follow his daughter’s digital footprint – hacking her computer, contacts, messages, etc. All is not as he had believed, and it’s a switchback trail of leads, twists, turns and heart-stopping suspense. Filmed and shown via found footage style: YouTube videos, Skypes and chat screens, it marks the debut of director Aneesh Chaganty, who looks to be off to a great start in owning this genre.
“The Little Stranger” (R) – The imposing manor house where Dr. Faraday’s (Domnhall Gleeson) mother worked was a place of reverence in his childhood memories, but Hundreds Hall has turned to a cold shell of itself when he returns 30 years later to care for the manor’s inhabitants. Mrs. Ayers (Charlotte Rampling) is the matriarch. Her son Roderick (Will Poulter) is disturbed and convinced the house is angry with the family; and daughter Caroline (Ruth Wilson) carries a tragic past. As more unexplained phenomena occur, and as the relationships between Dr. Faraday and the family develop, the link between past and present blurs.
“At First Light” (NR) – Stefanie Scott and Theodore Pelerine star as Alex and Sean in this young adult, first contact with aliens love story. Alex has a run in with a supernatural force that leaves her with newfound powers, while Sean is the friend with the heart of gold who will stick by her throughout her ordeal. What the film lacks is chemistry between the leads and an original storyline. On the bright side, it’s well-shot and there’s definitely enough suspense and action to fill in as a fun afternoon flick during holiday break. Written and directed by Jason Stone.
Bradley Hamilton, Sarah Troyer in “Hometown Holiday” (Brain Power Studios photo)
DVD Double Feature: “Christmas With a Prince” and “Hometown Holiday” (NR) – On the DVD equivalent of a slow news day, and it being the season for holiday romances, here are two brand-new Harlequin romances: Up first, “Christmas With a Prince,” where Kaitlyn Leeb plays Dr. Miller, a pediatrician whose focus is on the kids. On the local ski slopes, Prince Alexander (Nick Houndslow) takes a fall and is secreted to the pediatric wing to convalesce. The doctor doesn’t agree with the distraction, but there’s something about healing that makes the heart race. Then in “Hometown Holiday,” record exec Ryan Rourke (Bradley Hamilton) is seeking the next big thing, but when he comes to Krista’s (Sarah Troyer) hometown to sign a local singer, the pair start a different kind of collaboration.
New TV Releases
“Sharp Objects”
“The 100” Season 5
“Mystery Science Theater 3000: Volume Eight”
“Tales of the Abyss” The Complete Series
© 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.
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