As we move deeper into July, we also move deeper into a period when we can reflect upon the season and the year so far. Simultaneously, as movie lovers, we have the rare opportunity to stop and consider what we want to add to our burgeoning personal and/or family libraries. Let us begin by considering what's new and awesome, before we move on to what's a little older, yet also quite fabulous.
New This Week
Celebrated filmmaker Terence Davies chronicles the life of celebrated poet Siegfried Sassoon (Jack Lowden) in Benediction. It's a dramatic personal journey that spans decades, encompassing family, war and personal relationships, all of which are destructive to some degree and influence his remarkable poetry.
Now Available to Buy or Rent
Under the command of master filmmaker Sam Raimi, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness proves to be a marvel of familiar characters and head-spinning plot twists that rewards multiple viewings. Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Benedict Wong star.
Part travelogue, part character story, part family history, and all entertaining, Downton Abbey: A New Era illuminates bygone days with lights, camera and action. Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery and Maggie Smith lead the beloved cast.
Our spirits are always lifted when visiting with lovable friends and the The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run is filled with an assortment of longtime friends, all involved in an all-new adventure that will delight your children. You'll get a kick out of it, too!
Other Deals
In a break from real life, Firestarter treats fiery flames as tools to defeat one's enemies. Zac Efron, Ryan Armstrong and Kurtwood Smith star.
Professor Albus Dumbledore (Jude Law) deals with the wreckage of a failed relationship with Gellert Grindelwald (Mads Mikkelsen) in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore by sending his trusted confidante Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) and his trustworthy friends after him. Magic will abound.
Young Tom Holland and the (slightly) older Mark Wahlberg pair up to make a rocky team of explorers in Uncharted. The odds are against them finding the treasure and outlasting their devious foes, but eye-popping fun awaits in the globe-spanning adventure.
This Week's Biggest Sales
We kick off our sales section with $4.99 Summer Weekend Deals. Would you welcome a dose of silly comedy, courtesy of Adam Sandler and friends in The Waterboy? How about outlandishly entertaining mythology, as captured in the sumptuous Gods of Egypt? Perhaps a battle between stage magicians Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman in Christopher Nolan's clever The Prestige is more your style?
In our Actors Spotlight, we shine a bright light on gifted thespians, notably the resoundingly popular Dwayne Johnson, the amazingly versatile Emily Watson, the swiftly-rising star Brian Tyree Henry and the brightly funny Kate McKinnon.
The last week of July means that many of us must turn our attention back to an office-work situation that is not always as awesome as we'd like. Back to the Office Sale gives us the opportunity to imagine the possibilities, whether it's avaricious traders, like Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese's delirious The Wolf of Wall Street, or the calm and composed Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Meryl Streep in the fashionable The Devil Wears Prada, or the titular beasts in Horrible Bosses / Horrible Bosses 2, starring Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day.
The best visual effects are those that enhance a compelling story, as vividly demonstrated in our Spotlight on Special F/X, featuring the awesome Godzilla vs. Kong, the visionary Interstellar or the grace notes found throughout Forrest Gump — classics, one and all.
More Big Sales
Mentioned more briefly, but no less noteworthy, our Family Sale empowers you to mix and match three (3) movies for $14.99. Nothing brings a family together like saving money.
Two of our favorite action opponents are featured together again in our Alien vs Predator Sale. Dressing up in costume is optional.
A slew of sales are continuing this week, including the ferocious Shark Week Sale, the incredibly varied Animated Movies & TV Sale and the very sneaky Espionage & Conspiracy Sale.
We draw special attention to our Summer of Savings: Superfandom Style, because superfandom encompasses so much these days that it's hard to keep track.
Our Ultimate Movie Fan Sale is truly that: the ultimate sale for movie fans. Thus, it deserves special mention.
Parents deserve a break now and then, which is why we designed our Parents Mix & Match: 2 Movies for $14.99 sale to give you dear parents an opportunity to exercise your freedom of choice in deciding what your family should watch.
Vudu Top 10
For a second week in a row, the monster hit Jurassic World Dominion dominated all movies on the Vudu top ten chart on Fandango's streaming service. Also ruling the list for the week of July 18th through July 24th were the Blumhouse horror thriller The Black Phone (starring Ethan Hawke), encoring as the #2 title, and the new cut of Zack Snyder's Justice League, debuting on Vudu this week in the #3 position.
Among Vudu's top bundles are the Top Gun 2-Movie Collection (at $29.99), the Jurassic 5-Movie Collection ($34.99) and the Zack Snyder Justice League Trilogy (at $29.99, which includes Man of Steel and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice).
Also debuting on Vudu this week, Alex Garland's horror thriller Men, starring Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley, ranked #11 among all titles.
Vudu’s top ten titles for the past week, in terms of revenue:
1. Jurassic World Dominion
2. The Black Phone
3. Zack Snyder's Justice League
4. The Bad Guys
5. The Northman
6. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore
7. The Batman
8. Father Stu
9. Mobius
10. Everything Everywhere All at Once
