Kumaré (DVD) – This starts out like one of this Morgan Spurlock-esque stunt documentaries, in that it’s about an Indian guy from New Jersey who pretends to be a guru to see if he can attract a bunch of gullible followers. Initially, the experiment is all played for laughs (i.e., aren’t these people ridiculous for falling for my bogus schtick?). Eventually, though, it morphs into something more substantial, as the director/star, I think to his legitimate surprise, comes to form a legitimate connection with the people who’re looking to him for guidance. The big question then becomes, how is everyone going to react when he reveals who he really is?

Shelter (VOD) – These days, there are basically two kinds of Jason Statham movies. There’s the goofy, over-the-top ones, à la The Beekeeper, and there’s the more grounded ones, like the recently released Shelter. In the latter’s case, Statham is a stoic, no-nonsense guy with a tremendous set of skills who’s forced to dispatch a whole bunch of bad guys after his remote island hideaway is discovered.

Red Rabbit (Alex Grecian) – This novel, about a rag-tag posse who’re travelling across a supernaturally infused Old West in order to claim a bounty on a witch, is an absolute delight. I could tell from page one that it was destined to be one of my new favourites.

Small Prophets (Blu-ray) – Mackenzie Crook is probably most famous for playing Gareth on the original UK version of The Office. I, however, consider him to be one of the all-time great TV creators. I first fell in love with his work on The Detectorists. I then sought out his earlier show, the wonderful Worzel Gummidge adaptation. His latest is Small Prophets. As per usual, he writes and directs every episode. Also per usual (i.e., as I’ve come to expect from him), it’s a beautiful little gem that’s brimming with heart and humanity and wit and, like his previous creations, a dash of the mythic. (Incidentally, it’s only streaming in the UK, so I had to purchase a $50 region B Blu-ray in order to watch it.)