Welcome to another look at highlights arriving on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD. It’s been an odd month, with one slow week followed by an incredibly busy one. This is another slim edition before viewers are bombarded once again. Yet a few interesting releases will be made available. So, if you can’t make it out to the movies this week or need to stay indoors for a few days, be sure to give one of these titles a try!
BIG NEW RELEASES!
CULT KILLER – A woman who wants to become a private investigator is helped in her pursuits by a veteran PI who takes her on as a protégé. While teaching her everything he knows, she is asked by police to help track a killer focused on eliminating a wealthy family. The protagonist eventually learns the dark and disturbing conspiracy behind the slayings and confronts her target. This independent thriller split critics, earning slightly more negative reviews than positive ones. Those who liked it thought that the story was disturbing and provided some unexpected twists. They also noted that it was greatly helped by the work of the committed cast. But more didn’t believe that the surprises were credible. These reviewers complained that the movie was attempting to shock for its own sake and a couple even stated that the film’s title had no relevance to the plot. For the time being, this is a DVD-only release. It stars Alice Eve, Antonio Banderas, Shelley Hennig, Paul Reid and Olwen Fouéré.
DRIVING MADELEINE – This French comedy/drama involves a world-weary Parisian cab driver. He picks up a 92-year-old fare who asks him to take her to her new living quarters in a retirement home. On the way there, the lady asks to drop by important places from her past. He agrees and begins to hear the remarkable story of her life. The woman’s stories begin to inspire him and a friendship slowly develops. This foreign-language feature was released in its homeland in 2022 and was a success at festivals. It also garnered positive responses in this part of the world. A small number found the central relationship unbelievable and weren’t moved by the proceedings. Yet everyone else called the film compassionate and deeper than it appeared on the surface. They were also impressed with the two stars and thought the end result was charming. The cast includes Line Renaud, Dany Boon, Alice Isaaz, Jérémie Laheurte and Gwendoline Hamon.
EMBODIED – Weight stigma is the subject of this documentary. Viewers are introduced to five individuals, who tell their stories and deal with various personal issues because of their body shape. One is a drag queen trying to use humor to cope with rude comments, another is a midwife who feels a bias from others in the healthcare field and the third is an ex-mermaid performer. A large, former athlete struggling to care for his health is also featured. Additionally, the movie covers a CEO trying to create a community for the millions of American who are deemed overweight. This picture played at a couple of festivals (including Tribeca X in New York) and was picked up for distribution on disc, but otherwise hasn’t been seen by the press. So, those curious about the non-fiction feature will have to take a chance on it without reading any reviews.
LYNCH/OZ – Filmmaker David Lynch is known for his unique and sometimes surreal work in movies like Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks series, Wild at Heart, Mulholland Drive and many others. Apparently, he is a fan of the 1939 feature The Wizard of Oz and this documentary explores his love of the picture. The moviemakers provide an analysis of the themes and imagery in his pictures and the influence that the family fantasy may have had on him. The feature played at numerous festivals where it earned praise and a few nominations. Criterion is now putting the picture out on Blu-ray. Write-ups were positive. There was a small contingent who thought the movie really strained to make connections between Oz and Lynch’s work, finding the film a slog. Yet the majority were amused by the arguments being made, describing it as a stream-of-consciousness doc with a unique argument. They felt that it didn’t matter If they agreed with the thesis because it was fun to hear the arguments and that the picture allowed them to think and come to their own conclusions.
BLASTS FROM THE PAST!
If you’re looking for something a bit older, options are available. Arrow Video is delivering a 4K Ultra HD “Limited Edition” version of the Japanese ghost story, Dark Water (2002). For those unfamiliar with the movie, it came during the height of the J-horror craze and featured a recently divorced woman who moves into a dilapidated apartment complex with her young daughter. The pair begin witnessing supernatural phenomena and experience strange water puddles and drips around the building. It’s a creepy and effective chiller that isn’t afraid to put its young characters in jeopardy (which may make the movie more unsettling to parents). A US remake was produced in 2005 with an English-speaking cast. Click this link to read a full disc review.
This disc contains only a 4K Ultra HD disc (no Blu-ray is included). Besides the upgraded picture presentation, extras include interviews with the director, the author of the book upon which the film is based, the cinematographer, archival discussions with cast members and the theme song artist, an original making-of documentary, publicity materials, a reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned art for the title, and an illustrated booklet featuring writing on the film.
A few months back, Arrow put out a special “Giallo” set with three Italian thrillers in it. You can now pick up the Giallo Essentials Yellow Edition, which is a 3-Disc “Standard Special Edition” release. It contains Blu-rays of What Have They Done with Our Daughters (1972), Torso (1973) and Strip Nude for Your Killers (1975) with most of the bonuses included in the previous edition.
The same is true for the award-winning Harrison Ford picture, Witness (1985). This 4K Ultra HD “Standard Edition” appears to deliver everything in the previous version, but only on a single 4K disc (no Blu-ray is included).
Criterion is releasing The Runner (1984) on Blu-ray. Pictured to the right, this foreign-language drama from Iran tells the story of a poor young boy who enrolls in school. He must compete in an unusual competition in order to earn the respect of his fellow students. The well-regarded film has been given a 2K restoration supervised by the director and comes with a new conversation with the moviemaker, in addition to a 2022 audio interview with him. You’ll also get Waiting (1974), an earlier 48-minute film from the director, as well as a trailer.
Kino is presenting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo of the Ben Affleck/Samuel L. Jackson drama, Changing Lanes (2002). The two leads play strangers who get into a fender bender and, after a brief disagreement, begin to dismantle each other’s lives. It comes with a director commentary, featurettes on the production, deleted/extended scenes and a trailer.
The Manchurian Candidate (2004) is also getting the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray treatment in a 20th Anniversary Edition. This is a remake of the 1962 classic political thriller that features Denzel Washington as the protagonist. Besides a new 4K remaster of the movie, it comes with an archived commentary with the director and the co-writer, featurettes on the cast and the production, a featurette with optional director commentary, co-star Liev Schreiber’s screen test, deleted/extended scenes, outtakes and a trailer.
If you’d like to own the Burt Reynolds/Liza Minelli thriller Rent-a-Cop (1987), it’s now appearing on Blu-ray for the very first time. Reynolds plays a cop who is wrongly accused of corruption and, desperate for cash, takes a job escorting a call girl. When she’s targeted by the same crook as he was, the two pair up to take him down. This very, very silly movie has been given a 4K restoration and arrives on Blu-ray with a commentary featuring a critic along with co-star Richard Masur. It also comes with a trailer and a “Limited Edition” slipcase.
The Soldier’s Tale (1984) is a 51-minute animated fable voiced by Max von Sydow about a soldier who encounters the Devil. The pair battle over the fighter’s violin. Bonuses include a commentary with the director alongside an animator and the associate producer, along with another short and a selection of animated commercials and other efforts from the movie-maker.
Target (1985) from Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde, Little Big Man) follows a teenager who doesn’t get on with his dad. When the youngster’s mother is kidnapped in Europe, his father reveals himself to be a government agent and the pair race to find her. This picture stars Matt Dillon and Gene Hackman and is also making its Blu-ray debut. Paramount has delivered a 4K picture restoration for this release and the disc’s special features offer an entertainment journalist commentary, a trailer, and a fancy slipcase.
Shout! Factory is providing four 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray combo sets. The first is a “Collector’s Edition” of the remake of Stephen King’s famous pyrokinesis tale Carrie (2013). A young Chloë Grace Moretz plays the title character and Julianne Moore co-stars as her overprotective, unhinged mother. Obviously, the set includes a big picture upgrade, but also offers a new interview with the production designer and a talk with the author of a book on the various adaptations of the King novel. There’s also an alternate ending, deleted/alternate scenes, multiple featurettes on various aspects of the production and a trailer.
Speaking of remakes, the recent redo of the killer doll flick Child’s Play (2019) is getting a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray “Collector’s Edition” too. Expect improved image quality, new talks with the production designer and cast members Gabriel Bateman and David James Lewis, as well as a director commentary, a making-of, a special on bringing the toy to life, a soundtrack trailer, Lee Hardcastle “Claymations” and publicity materials.
The Harrison Ford submarine drama K-19: The Widowmaker (2002) is being released on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray. Ford plays a Russian nuclear submarine captain who attempts to save his damaged craft from self-detonating and triggering a war between his country and the US. This “Collector’s Edition” presents a new 4K scan of the original negative, an audio commentary with the director and cinematographer, a making-of, three featurettes on the production and a trailer.
The Ring Collection is also arriving in a 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray box set. This box contains the US-produced trilogy that was based on the original Japanese chiller about a videotape that kills anyone who watches it and doesn’t pass it on to another viewer. You’ll get The Ring (2002) and The Ring Two (2005) starring Naomi Watts, along with the more-recent Rings (2017) with Johnny Galecki. The first title includes a sharp 4K picture restoration, a new featurette on the “ghost girl” from the film, a collection of deleted footage, a short film that connects the first and second movies, cast and crew interviews and more. Bonuses on the second title include a 4K picture restoration, a critic commentary, the unrated version of the movie, deleted scenes, featurettes on the production, a making-of and a trailer. The final flick comes with a new 4K master of the picture, deleted/extended scenes, and a couple of featurettes on the production.
Sony is delivering the pre-code crime/drama Cocktail Hour (1933) on Blu-ray. It follows a woman who doesn’t believe in marriage. She decides to end her relationship and move to Paris, getting involved with some interesting characters. Soon, the lead falls for a prince and an unexpected death occurs, before her past loves re-enter her life any vie for her affection.
Or, you can pick up Sony’s Blu-ray of the award-winning Chinese historical drama, Shadow Magic (2000), about filmmakers trying to produce a successful film without offending the local Empress.
Finally, Warner Bros. is making a few catalog titles available once again for purchase. Appaloosa (2008) is an interesting western with Ed Harris, Viggo Mortensen and Renee Zellweger. You can also purchase a reissue of the classic comedy Blazing Saddles (1974), not to mention the Hammer Horror effort, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), starring Christopher Lee in his fourth appearance as the title character.
YOU KNOW, FOR KIDS!
It’s a slow week for kid’s entertainment, but the next edition should present plenty of options.
ON THE TUBE!
All of the week’s TV-themed releases can be found listed below.
The Act: The Complete Limited Series (Universal) Blu-ray
American Masters: Dr. Tony Fauci (PBS) DVD
Doctor Who: The Daleks (in Color) (colorized feature-length film cut together from original Dalek episodes form the 60s, also includes all the original black and white TV episodes) (BBC) Blu-ray and DVD combo
Gospel (PBS) DVD
Nikki & Nora: Sister Sleuths (Hallmark) DVD
Suits: The Complete Series (Universal) Blu-ray