Last Tuesday, VVS Films released Out of the Furnace on Blu-ray & DVD.  Returning from service in Afghanistan, Rodney Baze (Casey Affleck) goes missing after entering the world of underground fighting, causing his older brother Russell (Christian Bale) to seek justice, struggling to finally settle a score with the psychopathic crime lord Harlan DeGroat (Woody Harrelson).

Directed by Scott Cooper, who also delivered the excellent Crazy Heart, Out of the Furnace is an often uncompromisingly bleak look at poverty and crime in the American Rust Belt.  Although the story is a little slow moving and the inevitable outcome is ultimately quite depressing, the film finds success in quietly building atmosphere and mood, and is worth seeing for the solid cast which includes another standout performance from Christian Bale.

The Blu-ray includes three “making of” featurettes.

Out of the Furnace is 116 minutes and rated 14A.

Also released on March 11th from VVS Films, Homefront explores a few similar themes, but in a more bombastic way.  When former DEA agent Phil Broker (Jason Statham) moves to a small town with his daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic), an act of bullying snowballs out of control, leading to his identity being revealed and disturbing encounters with local drug lord Gator Bodine (James Franco).

Based on a script that was written by Sylvester Stallone back in the day, director Gary Fleder brings the more modern themes of bullying to the forefront, as Jason Statham does fine action work alongside another entertainingly twisted role from James Franco.  Although the story is largely derivative and the violence is often over the top, Homefront is an alright throwback to the gritty action movies of decades past, that is mildly worth a rental for fans of the genre.

The Blu-ray also includes some deleted scenes and a featurette.

Homefront is 100 minutes and rated 14A.

-John Corrado