Welcome to another look at some of the highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. The upcoming holiday means that it’s very quiet, but there are still a few new arrivals and some excellent older features. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a while, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
GREEN CITY LIFE – Documentary enthusiasts may be intrigued by this effort from France. It examines issues like pollution facing our big cities. The filmmakers have traveled around to explore new advances in creating greener and cleaner cities of tomorrow. This includes urban farming and incorporating green spaces in, around and on top of buildings. Released in its homeland as La Belle Ville, the picture was released last year in its homeland. It appears that no one in North America has seen the movie yet and so there currently are no reviews available for it. Hopefully it is an inspiring and helpful feature film. For the time being, this feature is only available on DVD.
HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS – This foreign-language multinational co-production set in North Macedonia tells the story of a gay woman caring for a teenage daughter and child with her partner. She is diagnosed with a terminal illness and asks her significant other to care for them after she passes away. Despite never having wanted kids, the lady agrees and tries to move forward with the rebellious youths. Reviewers were extremely impressed by this drama. A few did find the drama overplayed and the characters brazen to the point that they had a difficult time relating to them. Everyone else thought it was a beautifully chaotic portrait of a family trying to find common ground and admired that it never resorted to overt sentimentality in its approach. It features Anamaria Marinca, Mia Mustafi, Dzada Selim, Alina Serban and Vladimir Tintor.
KIDNAPPED: THE ABDUCTION OF EDGARDO MORTARA – This biopic tells the story of a horrific crime perpetrated in 1858. In the Jewish quarter of Bologna, the Pope’s soldiers raid a household and abduct a young boy. It seems that the child was secretly baptized by his nurse and thus taken by the church to be converted and receive a Catholic education. The parents fight vigorously to have their youngster returned to them, but face an uphill struggle. This Italian/French/German co-production was nominated for and won awards in Europe and was well-received by critics. A small number thought the presentation was ham-fisted and over-the-top, repeatedly repeating its message. Regardless, all others thought that it was an operatic but compelling story that effectively showed the horrific journey of a family to reunite. Some actually felt that the tale spanned so many years it would have benefitted from a longer running time. Paolo Pierobon, Fabrizio Gifuni, Barbara Ronchi and Fausto Russo Alesi headline the feature.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
While it isn’t a big week for new releases, you have a ton of options with older pictures. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid (1973) is also being released in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack or as a standalone Blu-ray. This picture from Sam Peckinpah (The Wild Bunch, Straw Dogs) stars James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Bob Dylan and Jason Robards. It’s a revisionist western following the final days of Garrett and Billy the Kid. You’ll get two versions of the movie in 4K and a third preview cut in 2K, as well as a discussion with a film expert about the movie’s iconic soundtrack, a new documentary about the making of the feature, an archival interview with co-star Coburn, trailers and TV spots and an essay on the picture
Film Masters is presenting the gritty western Kentucky Rifle (1955) on Blu-ray. It’s about a man taking rifles to California. When his stagecoach breaks down, his life is put in danger. You can also pick up Western Stars (1938) from the same distributor.
First Spaceship on Venus (1960) is an East German/Polish science-fiction effort made behind the Eastern Bloc that actually got a drive-in release in North America. It follows astronauts who meet aliens on Venus after discovering technology from the planet. German Gemini Entertainment is releasing the English-language export version on Blu-ray in widescreen for the very first time in North America.
Kino is delivering the Jeff Bridges/Tommy Lee Jones thriller Blown Away (1994) as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo pack or a standalone Blu-ray. It’s about an IRA bomber who targets the city of Boston. A member of the local bomb squad does his best to stop the explosives from going off. The picture restoration comes from the original camera negative. Extras include a director commentary, a film expert commentary, a making-of, a music video and publicity materials.
Narrow Margin (1990) is a thriller with Anne Archer playing a woman who witnesses a mafia hit. She goes into hiding and a government agent, played by Gene Hackman, attempts to save her from hitmen while she travels on a passenger train. This is a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray pack that contains a spiffy new 4K transfer from Studio Canal, a director commentary, a film historian commentary, a making of featurette, some B-roll footage and a trailer.
Lionsgate is releasing several titles as Walmart exclusive Steelbooks. They include Angel Has Fallen (2019) in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray package, as well as a Blu-ray of the George A. Romero zombie movie Diary of the Dead (2007). The Sylvester Stallone Escape Plan series is getting a triple-feature Blu-ray Steelbook. And Saw X (2023) is getting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo.
The dramas Once Around (1991) and Evening (2007) are being presented in a double-feature Blu-ray from Mill Creek Entertainment.
The hilarious comedy Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004) is celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, and Paramount are putting out the feature in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray set. Set in the 1970s, it follows a blunt and politically incorrect news anchor and his team, who must come to terms with changing ideas when a talented female anchor arrives to co-host the nightly broadcast. It stars Will Ferrell, Christina Applegate, Steve Carrell, Paul Rudd and so many more familiar faces. You’ll get the theatrical cut in 4K with two additional Blu-rays containing the extended edition and the Wake Up, Ron Burgundy feature, along with all the bonuses from the previous big Blu-ray set.
Forrest Gump (1994) is being given a 30th Anniversary Walmart exclusive Steelbook containing a 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and two soundtrack CDs. With the exception of the music, the features look almost identical to previous 4K editions of the Best Picture-winning Tom Hanks drama.
It’s a busy, busy week for Shout! Factory. You can pick up a Limited Edition 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook of the Oliver Stone satire Natural Born Killers (1994), presumably with the same extras as the distributor’s previous release of the picture. The same is true for the Keanu Reeves/Partick Swayze crime picture Point Break (1991), which is also appearing as a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray “Limited Edition” Steelbook (the packaging is the only difference from this version and the one released last December).
The entertaining cult comedy UHF (1989) from Weird Al Yankovic is being given a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray upgrade. If you haven’t seen it, the musician stars as a man who inherits a TV station and creates “unique” programming to compete with the major networks. The picture upgrade should be wonderful and the extras are the same as in the previous Shout! Blu-ray edition.
You can make it a double-feature by purchasing Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022) as a Limited Edition Steelbook containing the not-so-truthful biopic on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Daniel Radcliffe plays Vankovic in this creative take on the musician’s life.
Speaking of musical artists, the distributor is also releasing the Madonna/Griffin Dunne comedy Who’s That Girl? (1987) on Blu-ray. The star plays a parolee who convinces a lawyer to help prove her innocence. The film has been given a 2K restoration and arrives on disc with a film historian commentary and a trailer.
And there/’s more. Sony Pictures is giving the Martin Scorsese classic Taxi Driver (1976) a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray Steelbook. The movie stars Robert De Niro as the title character, a damaged cab driver on the verge of committing a violent act. This release was mastered from the original camera negative and comes with commentaries and more bonus features than can be listed here.
Unearthed Films is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray (with an accompanying soundtrack CD) of the cult flick, The Guyver (1991). It’s based on a Japanese manga comic and features a man who finds a biomechanical skeleton and uses it to fight evil. Mark Hamill has a supporting role in the picture. The original R-rated cut has been restored from the original camera negative. It comes with a co-director commentary track, tons of cast and crew interviews, outtakes, publicity materials and more. A Blu-ray-only edition is also available.
Cocaine Bear (2023) is being rereleased in a Blu-ray and DVD combo Steelbook, it is an exclusive that will only be available for purchase at Walmart.
And Warner Bros. would like you to know that you can now purchase the entertaining horror/action/comedy The Meg (2018) as a Walmart exclusive 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. The discs will be packaged in a fancy Steelbook.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
Sadly, there isn’t much available for kids this week, but the next edition should have some options.
ON THE TUBE!
Hallmark 2-Movie Collection: Holiday Road, Heaven Down Here (Hallmark) DVD
Hallmark 4-Movie Collection: Ms. Christmas Comes to Town, Navigating Christmas, A Season for Family, The Secret Gift of Christmas (Hallmark) DVD
Icons Unearthed: The Simpsons (Miniseries) (Mill Creek Entertainment) Blu-ray
Letterkenny: Season 12 (Elevation) DVD
Love, of Course (Hallmark) DVD