“Zappa”: This two-hour, nine-minute documentary is a sprawling look at the iconic musical multi-hyphenate and activist Frank Zappa, helmed by actor and filmmaker Alex Winter.
Authorized by Zappa’s estate, the film features interviews with both family members and former collaborators and an abundance of archival footage in a way that encapsulates the iconoclast’s style, with media, genre, tone and mood shifting throughout, wrote Tribune News Service critic Katie Walsh in her review.
“If the outsize legacy of his work bears any consistency, it’s in the purest expression of his vision, whatever that might have been. Zappa repeatedly states that he made the music that he wanted, needed, to hear. If others want to listen, he’s happy to provide the recordings as a public service,” she wrote. “In ‘Zappa,’ this legendary artist’s uncompromising nature is bracing, bold and utterly refreshing.
New on DVD March 2
“Pinocchio”: Live-action version of the timeless tale stars Roberto Benigni as Gepetto and Federico Ielapi as the magical puppet-turned-boy. In Italian and English.
“Monster Hunter”: Based on the video game of the same name, a lieutenant (Milla Jovovich) and her team fight to survive after being transported to a fantastical world.
“Fatale”: A sports agent (Michael Ealy) life becomes unraveled after a one-night stand with a woman (Hilary Swank) who’s investigating him.
“Half Brothers”: A successful Mexican executive (Luis Gerardo Mendez) learns he has an American half-brother (Connor Del Rio) and embarks on a road trip to revisit their father’s immigration path.
“All My Life”: Newly engaged couple Solomon and Jennifer (Harry Shum Jr. and Jessica Rothe) grapple with Solomon’s terminal cancer diagnosis.
“Doctor Who: Revolution of the Daleks”: The New Year’s Day special of the sci-fi series finds the Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) imprisoned on an asteroid.
“Scare Me”: Friends en route to a music festival swap horror stories until they realize they’re in one themselves. Stars DeMarr Wright, Taylor Kilgore and Mark Justice.
“Girls Rule Collection”: Collection features the high school coming-of-age classics “Mean Girls,” “Clueless” and “She’s the Man.”
“She’s the Man”: 2006 take on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” stars Amanda Bynes as a high school student posing as her twin brother. Out on Blu-ray for the first time in celebration of its 15th anniversary.
“Cheer! Rally! Kill! 5-Film Collection”: Collection of films starring high school crowd ralliers, including “The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders,” “Identity Theft of a Cheerleader,” “The Wrong Cheerleader,” “The Cheerleader Escort” and “Undercover Cheerleader.”
On digital HD March 2
“400 Bullets”: Soldiers in Afghanistan face both the Taliban and agents who’ve gone rogue. Stars Jean-Paul Ly, Andrew Lee Potts and James Warren.
“Sophie Jones”: A teenage girl (Jessica Barr) struggles to deal with the death of her mother.
“Vanguard”: A dangerous mercenary group seeks to kill an accountant. Stars Jackie Chan, Yang Yang and Lun Ai. In Mandarin and English.
